PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Responsibilities

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 July 2010,  Official Report, column 12WS, on machinery of government changes, which of the changes will require legislation in order to have full effect.

David Cameron: I refer the right hon. Member to the machinery of government changes explanatory document which I placed in the Library on 27 July 2010.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Caroline Flint: To ask the Prime Minister how many  (a) civil servants,  (b) press officers and  (c) special advisers in his Office accompanied him on his visit to the United States between 19 July 2010 and 23 July 2010.

David Cameron: As set out in the Ministerial Code, details of all my overseas travel will be published at least quarterly.

Gaza

Ian Austin: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons he described Gaza as a prison camp; what advice he sought on his description before making it; and if he will make a statement.

David Cameron: The UK continues to press for peace in the middle east, and I welcome the resumption of peace talks in Washington. We and the international community have called for the blockade of Gaza to be lifted. I have therefore welcomed the change Israel has made to allow more goods to be transported into Gaza.

Iraq Conflict: Legal Opinion

Frank Dobson: To ask the Prime Minister what advice he has received on the legality of the invasion of Iraq.

David Cameron: The coalition Government have not asked for advice on the legality of the 2003 Iraq conflict.

Ministerial Duties: Prime Minister

Peter Bone: To ask the Prime Minister who would undertake his Prime Ministerial duties in circumstances in which he was unable to do so.

David Cameron: I will continue to undertake my duties as Prime Minister.

Oil Rigs: Libya

Robert Halfon: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings  (a) his predecessor and  (b) his predecessor's officials held with (i) BP and (ii) the government of Libya on oil drilling off the coast of Libya between July 2007 and March 2008.

David Cameron: I have asked the Cabinet Secretary to review all the papers relating to this issue, and we will report shortly on his conclusions.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departmental Manpower

Denis MacShane: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary staff the House of Commons Commission employed in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stuart Bell: As at 30 June 2010, the House of Commons Commission employed 1,639 full-time equivalent staff, of whom 80 were temporary.

Departmental Publications

Denis MacShane: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the cost of editing and producing Commons Quarterly in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stuart Bell: The estimated cost of editing and producing the July 2010 edition of Commons Quarterly was £2,091 or £1.39 per copy (for a print run of 1,500). This figure includes the cost of printing and distribution and an estimated proportion of the staff time spent on design and editing. The July edition, the first of the new Parliament, was longer than usual: the usual cost is lower. The publication, which began in 2009, replaced a number of separate departmental newsletters.

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, by what date the House of Commons Commission expects all scaffolding to be removed from Commons Court in the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: This initial phase of the work to refurbish the cast iron roofs has progressed well and it is anticipated that the access scaffolding will be removed from Commons Court by the end of 2010.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Communication: Finance

Richard Burden: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how much funding the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has allocated in respect of communications in the next 12 months.

Charles Walker: IPSA's allocated funding for communications in the next 12 months is £278,200. This is broken down as follows:
	£232,200 staff costs (including basic salaries at £172,000, pension contributions and earnings related national insurance contributions (ERNIC));
	£30,000 website maintenance;
	£16,000 publications.

Departmental Sick Leave

Alison Seabeck: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many staff of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority have taken sick leave in each month of its operation; how many hours of work have been lost in consequence; and whether any temporary staff have been recruited to cover such absences.

Charles Walker: A total of nine IPSA members of staff have taken sick leave since May 2010. The numbers of staff absent in each month and the consequent number of working hours lost is as follows:
	May: One (five days or 37.5 hours)
	June: Four (10 days or 75 hours)
	July: Five (32 days or 1,200 hours).
	IPSA has not recruited any temporary staff to cover sick absence.

ICT

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which firm  (a) developed and  (b) supplied the IT system for hon. Members' claims used by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; and what the cost of the contract was.

Charles Walker: The expenses@work system was supplied as part of a wider IT contract with Calyx (UK) Ltd. It was originally developed by systems@work.
	The capital cost of the software expenses@work was £126,000 (which is inclusive of VAT at 17.5%). The estimated annual running cost of expenses@work is not identified separately. The support contract for all IT software support at IPSA, which includes support for Microsoft Office, the Financial Accounting System "Great Plains", the payroll software "Jane HR" as well as expenses@work, is £116,000 (which is inclusive of VAT at 17.5%) per annum.

Leave

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many staff of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority have been authorised to be absent from work owing to  (a) sickness and  (b) other reasons in the last three months.

Charles Walker: There are currently 27 permanent members of IPSA staff. Of these, nine have had authorised sick absences in the past three months. There have been no absences for study leave or unpaid leave over this period.
	Due to the nature of temporary employment, there are no equivalent figures available for temporary staff.

Members' Staff: Pay

Richard Burden: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's policy is on the public disclosure of individual salary details for staff of  (a) the Authority and  (b) hon. Members.

Charles Walker: The consultation on IPSA's publication policy, including salary details for MPs' staffs, has recently closed. IPSA is working to analyse responses, and draw up the final policy on publication, which will include details of the publication of MP staff salaries. This policy will be announced shortly.
	IPSA intends to publish salary details of its own staff in its annual report. IPSA intends to comply both with the upcoming Government procedures on senior salary publication for staff earning over £58,200 and with the principles of the publication scheme for Members' staff.

Members: Allowances

Denis MacShane: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many right hon. and hon. Members have received payments from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in the current Session.

Charles Walker: Up to 26 July 2010, 374 Members have received expense payments from IPSA, totaling £1,024,487.82.

Members: Allowances

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reason the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has informed certain hon. Members that they may claim other accommodation costs without claiming mortgage payments; whether the Authority plans to allow backdated claims for such costs from other hon. Members; and what arrangements the Authority intends to make to compensate hon. Members who have incurred demonstrable financial loss as a result of following advice from officers of the Authority which was at variance with the Authority's policy.

Charles Walker: IPSA apologises for any incorrect information that was given to Members with regard to claiming associated expenditure.
	During June and July 2010, IPSA consulted on various proposals to amend the MPs Expenses Scheme, including a proposal to allow Non-London Area MPs who own their property but who are not claiming mortgage interest subsidy to claim associated expenditure. This has now been incorporated into the revised scheme which was published on 26 July 2010. The online system will be updated to support this change by 16 August 2010 and all scheme changes and claims can be backdated to 7 May.
	Where demonstrable financial loss has occurred, IPSA will look at evidence submitted in writing and will make decisions on a case by case basis.

Members: Claims

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the average time taken to  (a) validate a claim and  (b) effect payment of a claim by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has been since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Walker: Up to 23 July 2010 the average length of time to scan and validate a claim by IPSA was 10 days once IPSA had received the accompanying receipts. Once approved for reimbursement, payment was made within three days.

Members: Claims

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the  (a) purpose of and  (b) procedure is for validation of claims undertaken by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; and what the reasons are for the time taken for validation of claims.

Charles Walker: The purpose of the validation process is to ensure expenses claimed by Members are eligible for reimbursement under the MPs' Expenses Scheme and that documentary evidence has been presented to support each expense. The type and nature of evidence required in relation to each expense is set out in our published guidance.
	The validation process commences when IPSA receives the receipts or other supporting evidence to support the claim. The receipts are then scanned into the system and IPSA staff review each claim to assess eligibility for reimbursement. At present, all claims undergo a three-stage review process by IPSA staff before they are then released for payment. IPSA anticipates moving to a two-stage review process in due course.

Members: Correspondence

Richard Burden: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's target time is for the provision of a substantive reply to correspondence received from hon. Members  (a) in hard copy and  (b) electronically; and what percentage of such correspondence has been replied to within these times to date

Charles Walker: At present, IPSA aims to respond to all e-mails and letters within five working days. It cannot readily provide data regarding the percentage of queries which have been answered within this time frame to date because it has recently introduced a new case management system. This will both improve the response time to e-mails, and ensure accurate records of correspondence between Members and IPSA. Once this system is fully rolled out across IPSA, it will provide Members with information on its performance against these and other service targets.

Standards

Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has taken steps to assess the level of satisfaction with its service among  (a) hon. Members and  (b) their staff; and if IPSA will publish a Charter of Service Standards to guarantee service users prompt, accurate and helpful answers to their requests for information and advice.

Charles Walker: IPSA has not conducted a systematic assessment of satisfaction levels with its services among MPs or their staff. It does, however, record both complaints and compliments to inform its reviews of the expenses system. There are also plans for further liaison with representative groups of MPs, which will provide opportunities for feedback about IPSA's services. At this early stage of operations, IPSA has not decided whether or when to publish a Charter of Service Standards.

Travel Cards: Applications

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what reports the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has received of difficulties in using the travel cards issued by the Authority for making claims; and what steps the Authority is taking in consequence.

Charles Walker: To date, IPSA is not aware of any major problems experienced by Members when using the travel card. Minor problems such as lost or locked PIN numbers have been resolved on an individual basis.

Travel Cards: Applications

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reason the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has issued electronic copies of travel claim forms to the proxies of hon. Members only; and what consideration the Authority gave to notifying hon. Members that such forms had been issued.

Charles Walker: All Members who have incurred expenditure on the travel card within the month will receive a paper copy sent to their home address. The paper copy will be sent at the end of each month. All Members who have a registered proxy on the online expenses system will also receive an electronic copy, sent to their proxy. Where Members do not have a proxy, they may use an alternate logon to access the electronic statement. We are working on a system change to develop an improved IT solution to this issue.

SCOTLAND

Commonwealth Games 2014

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the leader of Glasgow city council on  (a) economic growth in Glasgow and  (b) the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow since his appointment.

David Mundell: I met with the leader of Glasgow city council to discuss, among other issues, the Scottish economy, and how the Government could best support the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Our plan to cut the record budget deficit, which this Government inherited, goes hand in hand with our determination to return sustained growth to the Scottish economy.

Departmental Allowances

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department and its predecessor spent on  (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and  (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in each year since 1997.

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the spend on the reimbursement of staff expenses, and the largest 10 claims in each year, are shown in the following table. In many cases individual claims will cover multiple occasions.
	
		
			   Reimbursed (£)  10 largest claims (£) 
			 1999-2000 35,465 1,668 
			   797 
			   797 
			   433 
			   429 
			   429 
			   409 
			   409 
			   352 
			   333 
			
			 2000-01 55,316 2,366 
			   2,028 
			   1,593 
			   920 
			   920 
			   828 
			   812 
			   751 
			   736 
			   736 
			
			 2001-02 41,332 1,435 
			   1,299 
			   828 
			   828 
			   766 
			   764 
			   736 
			   736 
			   736 
			   736 
			
			 2002-03 61,294 1,196 
			   1,000 
			   952 
			   936 
			   917 
			   917 
			   917 
			   912 
			   877 
			   877 
			
			 2003-04 39,048 2,481 
			   2,208 
			   1,173 
			   1,172 
			   956 
			   917 
			   902 
			   837 
			   757 
			   717 
			
			 2004-05 22,376 1,310 
			   1,056 
			   1,056 
			   996 
			   930 
			   877 
			   877 
			   734 
			   676 
			   554 
			
			 2005-06 31,623 2,167 
			   1,571 
			   1,476 
			   1,035 
			   872 
			   869 
			   845 
			   734 
			   703 
			   500 
			 2006-07 36,774 1,894 
			   1,619 
			   1,568 
			   1,394 
			   1,183 
			   995 
			   643 
			   634 
			   540 
			   530 
			
			 2007-08 44,454 1,310 
			   1,229 
			   1,166 
			   1,023 
			   963 
			   861 
			   845 
			   845 
			   788 
			   718 
			
			 2008-09 40,433 1,193 
			   879 
			   759 
			   710 
			   669 
			   592 
			   569 
			   537 
			   524 
			   524 
			
			 2009-10 34,183 970 
			   558 
			   500 
			   460 
			   448 
			   447 
			   351 
			   342 
			   338 
			   321

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office and the Boundary Commission for Scotland have not sold any buildings or land since May 2005.

Departmental Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by his Department in each year since 2005.

Michael Moore: Scotland Office expenditure on external consultants and advisers since 2005 is shown as follows.
	
		
			   Expenditure (£) 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2008-09 43,225 
			 2009-10 7,000

Departmental Consultants

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the  (a) average and  (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office does not hold this information.

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department and its predecessor spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the Office has incurred the following expenditure on vacant properties.
	
		
			   Expenditure (£) 
			 1999-2000 0 
			 2000-01 0 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 13,169 
			 2004-05 9,477 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 30,639 
			 2007-08 5,315 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 11,257

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many chairs his Department and its predecessor purchased in each year since 1997; how much was spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office does not separately record the purchase of chairs.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

Michael Moore: The rent paid in each of the last five years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Total  Scotland  London 
			 2009-10 207,123.85 195,640.10 11,483.75 
			 2008-09 210,922.95 198,584.82 12,338.13 
			 2007-08 209,766.76 197,429.24 12,337.52 
			 2006-07 224,300.83 211,963.31 12,337.52 
			 2005-06 182,703.83 170,365.83 12,338.00

Economic Growth: Glasgow

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he plans to take to increase levels of economic growth in Glasgow.

Michael Moore: Reducing the record budget deficit, which this Government inherited, is vital for creating the conditions needed for businesses to grow and to support the economic recovery. Our plan to reduce the budget deficit goes hand in hand with our determination to return sustained growth to the Scottish economy.

Glasgow

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has visited Glasgow on official business since his appointment; when he next plans to visit Glasgow; and whom he plans to meet.

Michael Moore: My colleague the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State visited Glasgow on 8 July and I visited on Thursday 29 July. I met with Thales Optronics and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

Internet

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many entries he has posted on his Twitter account since taking office; and how many people have subscribed to the Scotland Office Twitter feed in each of the last three months.

Michael Moore: I have made one post on the Scotland Office Twitter account since taking up office.
	The Scotland Office does not hold details on the numbers of people who have subscribed to the feed in the last three months.

Internet

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hits there were on the Scotland Office website in  (a) March,  (b) April,  (c) May,  (d) June and  (e) July 2010.

Michael Moore: The number of visits and page views for the Scotland Office website for the months March to June are as follows:
	
		
			   Visits  Page views 
			  2010   
			 March 5,346 13,355 
			 April 3,906 9,719 
			 May 6,521 24,874 
			 June 4,552 16,957 
		
	
	The following July figures are up to the 22 July 2010 and are not the complete figures for the month.
	
		
			   Visits  Page views 
			 July 2010 2,492 8,752

Internet

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department ceased hosting a ministerial blog; and for what reasons.

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office stopped running the ministerial blog on 13 May 2010, when the new Secretary of State was announced. Following later discussions between the Secretary of State and officials it was decided not to reinstate the ministerial blog.

Referendums

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria the Government used to determine the eligible electorate for the referendum on Scottish devolution in 1997.

Michael Moore: A person was entitled to vote in the 1997 referendum in Scotland if, on the date of the referendum, they were eligible to vote in local council elections in Scotland and were registered to vote.

Referendums

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Executive on the entitlement to vote of EU citizens other than residents of England and Wales in referendums held in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I have had no discussions with the Scottish Executive on the voting entitlement of EU citizens other than residents of England and Wales in referendums held in Scotland. Where the Government hold a referendum on a reserved matter, the franchise is for the Government to determine.

Social Security Benefits

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effects on people in Scotland of proposed reductions in welfare expenditure.

Michael Moore: Welfare and benefits will be reformed in a way that protects those in genuine need, those with disabilities and those who can not work, but also encourages those who can work to get into work. The "Spending Review Framework" document issued by HM Treasury on 8 June states that the Government will look closely at the effects of its decisions on different groups in society, especially the least well off, across the United Kingdom.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Civil Service Live Conference

Graham Evans: To ask the Attorney-General what the cost to the public purse was of the Serious Fraud Office stand at Civil Service Live 2010.

Dominic Grieve: The cost for the Serious Fraud Office's stand at Civil Service Live was £9,000 (excluding VAT) for three days, with an additional cost of £169.67 for the provision of a light for the stand.

Domestic Violence and Homicide: Prosecutions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Attorney-General what percentage of the Crown Prosecution Service's budget was spent on bringing prosecutions against those charged with offences related to  (a) domestic violence and  (b) homicide in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dominic Grieve: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not analyse expenditure by offence type and the information sought could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General how much the Law Officers' Departments has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by the Law Officers' Departments for use by trade unions in each year since 1997.

Dominic Grieve: No money was paid by TSol or AGO to trade unions during the last six years. Expenditure records are not held for any earlier period but it is unlikely that any direct payments would have been made to trade unions.
	TSol does provide trade unions with accommodation to enable them to meet privately with their members, and store records/information relating to union activities. Since 2005 the trade unions have been provided with two rooms (one for PCS and one for FDA). The value of that accommodation is approximately £8,400 per annum.
	HMCPSI make no direct contributions to the trade unions and does not involve itself if staff wish to join a union and make their own payment arrangements. HMCPSI has a Whitley Council which meets quarterly and is attended by FDA and PCS representatives. The video-link conference is facilitated by HMCPSI, however to identify costs of individual meetings over the period asked would be disproportionate to cost.
	The Serious Fraud Office does not hold details on the number of days spent by staff engaged on trade union activities and the facilities provided for their use. It would only be possible to provide such data at a disproportionate cost.
	The National Fraud Authority has not made any payments to or provided facilities for use by trade unions since it launched in 2008.
	The following table displays the total value of invoices paid by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to unions by financial year since 1997. These are aggregated invoices paid to the Professional and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the First Division Association (FDA) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 1997-98 0 
			 1998-99 122.20 
			 1999-2000 100.00 
			 2000-01 0 
			 2001-02 10.00 
			 2002-03 450.00 
			 2003-04 150.00 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 12,588.11 
			 2006-07 11,445.22 
			 2007-08 293.75 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 0 
		
	
	The CPS is a devolved organisation and no central records are held that relate to sites where rooms have been allocated for trade union activity. It is estimated that there are 10 sites with dedicated rooms, each of which are estimated at 10 square metres. At an average cost of £346 per square metre the current value of these facilities is estimated at £34,600 per annum. The following table therefore estimates costs to 1997 by deflating at the rate of 2.7% each year:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 1997-98 25,132 
			 1998-99 25,811 
			 1999-2000 26,508 
			 2000-01 27,223 
			 2001-02 27,958 
			 2002-03 28,713 
			 2003-04 29,489 
			 2004-05 30,285 
			 2005-06 31,102 
			 2006-07 31,942 
			 2007-08 32,805 
			 2008-09 33,690 
			 2009-10 34,600

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Civil Service Live Conference

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse was of the Improvement and Development Agency stand at Civil Service Live 2010.

Bob Neill: The Department does not hold this information. The Improvement and Development Agency is part of the Local Government Association group; we expect the LGA to adopt the same standards of openness, transparency, and accountability as councils. The LGA has committed to publish details of all future expenditure over £500 from 1 September 2010. The LGA already seeks to abide by the principles of the Freedom of Information Act and is to be formally subject to the same FOI rules as central and local Government.

Council Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding each local authority received from his Department and its agencies for maintenance and repair of social housing in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Stunell: Details of the total housing revenue account subsidy allowances for maintenance and major repairs are given in the following table. The figures given are for 2008-09, the latest for which we have audited data.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Maintenance allowance  Major repairs 
			 Adur 2,827,807 1,898,876 
			 Alnwick 1,732,445 1,112,507 
			 Arun 3,467,113 2,387,932 
			 Ashfield 6,686,841 4,191,082 
			 Ashford 5,376,970 3,206,403 
			 Babergh 3,125,849 2,160,853 
			 Barking 25,877,223 12,929,363 
			 Barnet 12,832,650 8,060,402 
			 Barnsley 19,927,284 11,845,073 
			 Barrow (1)- (1)- 
			 Basildon 11,778,718 8,040,952 
			 Bassetlaw 6,469,245 4,036,405 
			 Berwick 1,059,114 702,464 
			 Birmingham 66,253,257 41,009,973 
			 Blaby 1,112,035 791,794 
			 Blackpool 5,548,288 3,650,813 
			 Blyth Valley 7,019,706 4,376,603 
			 Bolsover 4,768,162 3,112,903 
			 Bolton 17,862,691 10,638,062 
			 Bournemouth 5,320,579 3,411,064 
			 Braintree 42,807 28,349 
			 Brent 12,548,533 7,215,632 
			 Brentwood 2,537,555 1,826,843 
			 Bridgnorth 2,056,913 1,347,664 
			 Brighton and Hove 14,525,871. 9,066,687 
			 Bristol 30,596,191 18,334,198 
			 Broxtowe 4,141,221 2,808,178 
			 Bury 7,816,131 4,823,506 
			 Cambridge 7,181,131 4,885,785 
			 Camden 38,896,873 21,354,686 
			 Cannock Chase 5,072,397 3,236,829 
			 Canterbury 5,673,279 3,708,516 
			 Caradon 3,031,058 2,046,567 
			 Carrick 3,239,175 2,173,756 
			 Castle Point 1,441,308 1,077,021 
			 Charnwood 5,658,996 3,640,815 
			 Cheltenham 4,997,884 2,900,009 
			 Chesterfield 9,759,121 5,801,048 
			 City of London 2,559,841 1,774,564 
			 City of York 8,466,544 5,151,635 
			 Colchester 6,388,046 4,284,877 
			 Corby 5,190,443 3,118,110 
			 Crawley 7,859,362 5,594,717 
			 Croydon 16,406,126 10,313,216 
			 Dacorum 10,928,074 7,602,458 
			 Darlington 5,866,200 3,859,492 
			 Dartford 4,862,190 2,992,073 
			 Derby 13,297,816 7,728,635 
			 Doncaster 22,310,930 12,764,077 
			 Dover 4,599,702 3,144,298 
			 Dudley 23,587,913 14,107,588 
			 Durham 6,179,940 3,866,032 
			 Ealing 16,519,477 10,606,477 
			 Easington 9,121,647 5,415,167 
			 East Devon 3,723,338 2,461,432 
			 East Riding 10,375,622 7,046,857 
			 Eastbourne 4,203,233 2,617,231 
			 Ellesmere Port 5,326,878 3,451,386 
			 Enfield 13,910,563 8,988,558 
			 Epping Forest 6,829,776 4,617,842 
			 Exeter 4,983,414 3,122,045 
			 Fareham 2,361,149 1,677,226 
			 Gateshead 22,990,538 14,363,172 
			 Gedling 1,943,260 1,232,463 
			 Gloucester 4,404,637 2,761,381 
			 Gosport 3,347,873 2,161,695 
			 Gravesham 6,658,125 4,237,181 
			 Great Yarmouth 5,948,303 3,764,913 
			 Greenwich 32,561,103 20,083,446 
			 Guildford 5,361,867 3,781,199 
			 Hackney 33,574,800 21,296,274 
			 Hammersmith 20,368,940 11,241,208 
			 Haringey 22,915,118 11,855,023 
			 Harlow 10,985,304 7,134,173 
			 Harrogate 3,820,400 2,642,591 
			 Harrow 5,766,885 3,558,608 
			 Havering 11,805,354 8,148,952 
			 High Peak 3,700,618 2,474,301 
			 Hillingdon 11,604,854 7,624,180 
			 Hinckley 2,977,126 1,996,298 
			 Hounslow 15,836,157 10,008,072 
			 Ipswich 8,219,880 4,985,002 
			 Isles of Scilly (1)- (1)- 
			 Islington 39,633,676 19,541,138 
			 Kensington 9,635,494 6,266,335 
			 Kettering 3,686,627 2,374,411 
			 Kingston upon Hull 31,680,845 17,433,057 
			 Kingston upon Thames 5,396,165 3,675,819 
			 Kirklees 24,145,408 14,905,839 
			 Lambeth 37,971,524 22,774,529 
			 Lancaster 3,808,857 2,277,547 
			 Leeds 64,883,425 37,293,907 
			 Leicester 22,800,211 13,167,331 
			 Lewes 3,404,181 2,259,986 
			 Lewisham 24,951,021 13,379,320 
			 Lincoln 8,277,028 4,863,090 
			 Luton 9,045,163 5,935,179 
			 Manchester 25,117,930 12,502,093 
			 Mansfield 6,516,365 3,833,212 
			 Medway Towns 3,392,940 2,156,412 
			 Melton 1,753,715 1,169,488 
			 Merton 7,154,858 4,424,407 
			 Mid Devon 2,734,930 1,774,750 
			 Mid Suffolk 3,116,020 1,951,876 
			 Milton Keynes 11,888,291 7,600,039 
			 NE Derbyshire 7,509,497 4,696,359 
			 New Forest 4,681,891 3,317,187 
			 Newark 4,760,297 3,192,757 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 35,014,857 20,297,871 
			 Newham 23,244,800 13,296,676 
			 North Cornwall 3,041,757 2,019,989 
			 North Kesteven 3,375,279 2,095,381 
			 North Tyneside 16,945,357 10,245,164 
			 North Warwick 2,658,482 1,710,754 
			 Northampton 13,583,493 7,831,373 
			 Norwich 16,486,436 9,447,375 
			 Nottingham 33,126,325 16,843,628 
			 Nuneaton 6,313,312 3,819,364 
			 NW Leicester 3,887,511 2,671,128 
			 Oadby and Wigston 1,219,725 793,772 
			 Oldham 15,203,901 8,108,453 
			 Oswestry 1,744,392 1,160,914 
			 Oxford City 8,625,534 5,193,928 
			 Plymouth 14,926,347 9,353,793 
			 Poole 4,480,718 3,146,324 
			 Portsmouth 17,849,994 11,177,989 
			 Reading 8,089,335 4,349,264 
			 Redbridge 5,424,615 3,607,241 
			 Redditch 5,901,966 3,717,862 
			 Richmondshire 1,616,529 1,072,355 
			 Rochdale 14,997,785 8,689,610 
			 Rotherham 21,663,578 13,234,565 
			 Rugby 3,941,265 2,493,177 
			 Runnymede 3,120,703 2,176,461 
			 Rutland 1,111,215 751,811 
			 Salford 19,231,434 11,486,477 
			 Salisbury 4,927,088 3,268,681 
			 Sandwell 30,459,622 18,053,016 
			 Sedgefield 8,550,767 5,469,613 
			 Sedgemoor 3,909,578 2,473,312 
			 Selby 3,012,170 1,973,098 
			 Sheffield 50,578,999 29,013,976 
			 Shepway 3,710,701 2,350,792 
			 Slough 7,014,181 4,721,761 
			 Solihull 11,166,686 7,321,160 
			 South Beds 5,277,262 3,553,263 
			 South Cambridge 4,928,661 3,178,408 
			 South Derby 2,706,471 1,875,017 
			 South Holland 3,370,084 2,065,885 
			 South Kesteven 5,780,094 3,561,838 
			 South Lakeland 3,229,909 2,179,188 
			 South Tyneside 19,677,171 12,196,187 
			 Southampton 19,824,406 12,206,436 
			 Southend-on-Sea 6,758,344 4,603,123 
			 Southwark 57,591,132 35,479,606 
			 St Albans 5,413,678 3,744,097 
			 Stevenage 8,733,083 6,110,998 
			 Stockport 11,490,087 7,736,028 
			 Stockton 11,639,427 7,319,776 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 18,587,184 11,342,999 
			 Stroud 4,794,485 3,160,018 
			 Sutton 7,291,044 4,306,104 
			 Swindon 10,455,589 6,514,783 
			 Tamworth 4,557,940 2,742,008 
			 Tandridge 2,805,648 1,999,956 
			 Taunton Deane 5,477,645 3,530,267 
			 Tendring 3,437,939 2,230,213 
			 Thanet 3,731,967 2,231,251 
			 Thurrock 11,288,316 7,104,424 
			 Tower Hamlets 18,434,778 11,823,308 
			 Uttlesford 2,674,372 1,864,251 
			 Waltham Forest 12,259,685 7,492,662 
			 Wandsworth 24,279,764 15,023,150 
			 Warrington 8,465,617 5,052,884 
			 Warwick 5,521,262 3,620,534 
			 Waveney 4,263,409 2,873,226 
			 Waverley 4,906,185 3,463,239 
			 Wealden 3,046,281 2,251,531 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 9,983,031 6,371,323 
			 West Lancashire 6,428,985 4,045,479 
			 Westminster 20,098,007 11,343,675 
			 Wigan 22,260,728 13,654,429 
			 Winchester 4,826,266 3,324,058 
			 Woking 3,704,941 2,503,582 
			 Wokingham 2,775,174 1,847,637 
			 Wolverhampton 24,302,008 14,642,997 
			 Wycombe 6,205,572 4,176,070 
			 (1) No data

Council Tax: Tax Collection

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent estimate is of the amount of council tax which remains uncollected by local authorities; what steps he is taking to increase collection rates; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: As reported in the statistical release "Collection rates for council tax and national non-domestic rates in England 2009-10", published on 22 June 2010, in 2009-10 local authorities collected £21.4 billion out of a possible £22.1 billion which was a national in-year collection rate of 97.1%. This release is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/collectionrates/
	Collection of council taxes continues once the financial year to which they relate has ended. This means that the amount outstanding will be reduced and the final collection rate achieved is somewhere between the figures shown here and 100%.
	The collection and enforcement of council tax is a matter for individual local authorities.
	Every penny of council tax that isn't collected means higher council tax for the law-abiding citizens who do pay up on time. Councils with an efficient collection service are able to set lower council tax bills for everyone or spend more money on frontline services such as bin collections. The new Government will be making councils become more open and transparent about what they are spending. It is important that councils are sympathetic to the vulnerable and families who are struggling in the recession, and don't overuse bailiffs, but a lot more could be done to improve the back office service, especially in inner-city areas which have the worst collection rates.

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Bob Neill: The former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by Communities and Local Government, its non-departmental public bodies and agencies that has been sold since May 2005 is as follows; it does not include land and property acquired by organisations for operational purposes such as regeneration.
	
		
			  Building  Land  Price (£)  Funds accrued to Agency 
			 Peterborough field office - 264,207 Ordnance Survey 
			 Residential property - 218,000 Fire Service College 
			 Residential property - 228,000 Fire Service College 
			 Residential property - 228,000 Fire Service College

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much office space per employee his Department and its predecessors occupied in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: The amount of office space per employee for the Department for Communities and Local Government for 2008 and 2009, that includes data on CLG Central, the Government Office Network and its arm's length bodies has previously been published in the Office of Government Commerce's State of the Estate report.
	The FTE per square metre for CLG was reported as 15.9 m2 in 2008 and in 14.9 m2 in 2009.
	The reports can be accessed electronically using the following links:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/State_of_the_Estate in 2008.pdf
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/SOFTE_brochure.pdf
	The requested data for the period prior to 2008 are not available.

Departmental Communication

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what instructions have been issued by the private office of each Minister in his Department on the preparation of briefing, speeches and replies to official correspondence.

Bob Neill: Private offices maintain guidance on the departmental intranet which provides general advice for officials working with Ministers.

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department and its predecessors spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: Since the creation of the Department for Communities and Local Government in May 2006 the total cost of vacant property has been £503,000. The following table details the annual cost of vacant space for the period:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 29,689 
			 2008-09 204,542 
			 2009-10 268,384 
		
	
	The detail requested prior to 2006 is unavailable.
	The costs above for the financial year 2009-10 relate to two properties. These are the first floor of Sheffield House in Stevenage. The Department has been unable to secure further tenants for the space. The lease expires in March 2011.
	The remainder of the cost relates to the ground floor of Hempstead House, which was vacated by the Highways Agency in November 2008. CLG Finance occupies floors one and two. Due to the difficult market situation the space has been set up for business continuity purposes in the event of the emergency closure of Eland House.
	The Department continues to look for new tenants for the space to mitigate the cost exposure for the Department. The lease expires in 2014.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the expenditure on vehicles of  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each region of England was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.

Bob Neill: The Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have published their spending data for 2009-10 on the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/spendingdata0910
	Details of spending on vehicles including purchase, lease, maintenance and hire are categories within these data sets.
	We intend to publish spending data for 2008-09 in due course as part of our continuing transparency initiatives but details of expenditure in earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	The information for planned expenditure is not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental NDPBs

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility on the proposals to be contained in the Public Bodies (Reform) Bill.

Greg Clark: The Government are committed to increasing the accountability of public bodies and reducing their number and cost. I am currently working with the Minister for the Cabinet Office and other partners across Government to assess the public bodies that fall under my Department's area of responsibility against three tests: do they perform a technical function; do they require political impartiality; or do they act independently to establish facts. We expect to make an announcement by the autumn. Informal discussions of potential scenarios have been held with some public bodies in order to inform planning.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

Bob Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 82WS.

Departmental Public Consultation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to increase the involvement of young members of the public in the making of decisions that affect them taken by  (a) Ministers in his Department,  (b) officials in his Department and  (c) public bodies which fall within his Department's area of responsibility.

Andrew Stunell: My Department is facilitating a range of activities to increase the involvement of young people in decisions made by its Ministers, officials and public bodies. Ministers recently met the Young Advisors Charity and a number of its young advisors to talk about young people's contribution to the Big Society agenda; and officials hold regular meetings with representative organisations to ensure the views of young people are properly taken into account when developing policy. Although we do not hold information centrally on the work of this Department's public bodies with young people, we are aware of a number of different engagement programmes, including the Olympic Legacy Company's establishment of a Youth Panel made up of young people from the host boroughs, to get them involved in shaping the plans for the park after the Games; and the Tenants Service Authority work with the Young Advisors Charity to recruit young people to participate in their national structures for tenant voice. The Department for Communities and Local Government is also working with the Department for Education and the Office for Civil Society to support the National Citizen Service programme. The National Citizen Service programme is a key component of, and will seek to galvanise young people's interest in the Big Society. The programme is aimed at 16-year-olds and will be piloted in summer 2011 and will seek to develop a more cohesive, responsible and engaged society.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: The rent paid by the Department for Communities and Local Government in  (a) total,  (b) each (i) Government office region and (ii) nation of the UK and  (c) London in each of the last five years is shown in the following table. The figures include VAT where charged.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Government office region  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 London 21,930,670 21,728,728 22,101,618 21,485,032 16,378,209 
			 North West 38,981 19,490 - - - 
			 East 379,277 379,277 379,277 357,043 364,500 
			 East Midlands 10,000 460,409 460,409 215,203 10,000 
			 West Midlands 1,209,107 302,277 - - - 
			 Total England 23,568,034 22,890,181 22,941,304 22,057,278 16,717,109

Departmental Training

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his  (a) Department and its predecessors and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on training for its employees in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: The Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have published their spending data for 2009-10 on the Department's website here:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/spendingdata0910
	Details of spending on training will be a subset of learning and development services expenditure but could be further broken down only at disproportionate cost.
	We intend to publish spending data for 2008-09 in due course as part of our continuing transparency initiatives but details of expenditure in earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on travel undertaken in an official capacity by each Minister in his Department in  (a) May 2010 and  (b) June 2010.

Bob Neill: As set out in the Ministerial Code, the Department will publish, at least quarterly, details of all travel overseas by Ministers. Information for the first quarter will be published as soon as it is ready.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for York Central (Hugh Bayley) on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 625W.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Utilities

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on (i) electricity, (ii) water, (iii) heating and (iv) telephone services in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: The Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, have published their spending data for 2009-10 on the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/spendingdata0910
	Details of heating costs are not recorded separately and will relate to electricity and gas. Details of telephone service charges will be a subset of telecommunications expenditure but could be further broken down only at disproportionate cost.
	Details of expenditure in earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	We intend to publish spending data for 2008-09 in due course as part of our continuing transparency initiatives but details of expenditure in earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of questions for  (a) ordinary written answer,  (b) for written answer on a named day and  (c) tabled in the House of Lords to his Department have been answered on the due date in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The information for the current Session of Parliament is set out follows:
	
		
			   Questions tabled in the period: 
			   25-31 May  1-30 June  1-31 July( 1) 
			   Total  Number answered on due date  Percentage answered on due date  Total  Number answered on due date  Percentage answered on due date  Total  Number answered on due date  Percentage answered on due date 
			 Written questions 35 24 69 249 218 88 211 147 70 
			 Named day questions 17 16 94 90 77 86 114 101 89 
			 House of Lords written questions 1 1 100 29 29 100 32 32 100 
			 (1 )Excluding questions tabled for answer in September.

Farms: Change of Use

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to amend the planning system to assist farmers securing change of use permission for redundant and derelict farm buildings; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Local planning authorities are able to grant planning permission for changes of use for redundant and derelict farm buildings. Planning Policy Statement 4 (PPS4): "Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth" asks local planning authorities to support diversification of farms for business purposes that are consistent in scale and environmental impact with their rural location.
	In the coalition agreement we have also said we will promote Home on the Farm schemes, which will enable redundant and underused farm buildings to be used for homes.
	The Government will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. We will make an announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy, including for rural areas.

Fire Services: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the merits of including a sparsity factor in the Fire Formula Grant Review.

Bob Neill: We are currently consulting on options for formula grant distribution from 2011-12.
	These options include the possibility of including a negatively weighted population sparsity factor in the Fire and Rescue Relative Needs Formula.
	We welcome views on the options presented in the consultation paper and we are also prepared to consider alternative proposals put forward during consultation.
	This consultation closes on the 6 October 2010.

Government Office for the North West

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total monetary value was of assistance provided by the Government Office for the north-west to third sector organisations, community groups and voluntary groups in the last three years.

Bob Neill: holding answer 27 July 2010
	The total running costs for Government office for the north-west throughout this period was £39.5 million. Of this, the estimated monetary value of assistance paid directly from GONW to infrastructure organisations that represent third sector, community and voluntary organisations is £300,000.

Government Office for the North West

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the role of the Government office for the north-west in securing European funding for that region to date.

Greg Clark: holding answer 27 July 2010
	European funding allocations for the regions are determined at the national level, with subsequent overall responsibility for the management of the European Regional Development Fund resting with my Department. The Government office for the north-west was responsible for the day to day management of the funds available to the North West through the 2000-6 ERDF programmes.
	We will be using the Spending Review process to test which activities currently carried out by the Government offices should continue, including management of European funding, and to decide the most cost-effective ongoing arrangements.

Government Offices for the Regions

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultation he undertook on the closure of the Government Office Network with  (a) local authorities and  (b) trade unions between 15 and 22 July 2010.

Greg Clark: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government met trade union representatives between 15 and 22 July 2010 to discuss the case for closure of the Government office network.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Katy Clark) and the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs Ellman) on 27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 1037W.

Government Offices for the Regions

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the effect on levels of employment of the closure of the  (a) Government Office Network and  (b) Government office for the west midlands.

Greg Clark: The Secretary of State's announcement on 22 July 2010 made clear that final decisions will be made at the end of the spending review following consideration of consequential issues including the effect on jobs across the Government and on specific Government offices. Until the spending review is complete it is premature to speculate on these matters.

Government Offices for the Regions

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from  (a) local authorities,  (b) trade unions and  (c) individuals on the closure of the Government Office Network.

Greg Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs Ellman) on 27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 1037W, and as of 31 August the Secretary of State has received a number of representations from local authorities, trade unions and individuals regarding the Government's announcement of their intention in principle to abolish the Government office network.

Government Offices for the Regions

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were employed by the  (a) Government Office Network and  (b) Government office for the west midlands on the latest date for which figures are available.

Greg Clark: As at 31 July there were 1,691 staff working in the Government office network, of these, 191 work in the Government office for the west midlands.

Homelessness

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the oral answer of 15 July 2010,  Official Report, column 1088, whether funding from the £40 million fund may be used by local authority housing departments to fulfil their statutory responsibilities on homelessness; to what other purposes such funding may be put; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Work and Pensions currently provides local authorities with funding of £20 million towards discretionary housing payments. This will be trebled to £60 million by 2012-13.
	Discretionary housing payments can be made, subject to an annual cash limit, where a person is entitled to housing benefit or council tax benefit and the local authority considers that person is in need of further financial help to meet any shortfall in their housing costs or council tax. This can include payments for a rent deposit or rent in advance schemes for a property that the customer is yet to move into if they are already entitled to housing benefit for their present home.
	The scheme is discretionary so it is up to local authorities to decide how they operate it, with any decisions on its use being made on a case by case basis.

Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many regulated tenancies there were in each local authority area on the latest date for which figures are available.

Andrew Stunell: Data on the number of regulated tenancies at local authority level are not available.
	The latest estimate at national level, based on data from the Survey of English Housing, is that there were 120,000 regulated tenancies in England in 2007-08.

Housing Benefit

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to housing benefit on housing markets in areas with a high number of properties in the private rented sector.

Andrew Stunell: The Department for Work and Pensions published an impact assessment on 23 July 2010. This included a detailed assessment of impacts on households, local authorities and the affordability of accommodation, including breakdowns by government office region and by broad rental market area.

Housing: Construction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to encourage sustainable housing development in  (a) the UK and  (b) Coventry.

Andrew Stunell: The Coalition programme for government sets out our ambitions for a low carbon and eco friendly economy and to be the greenest Government ever. Within that, we have set out a number of actions to encourage sustainable housing development, such as the Green Deal to encourage home energy efficiency improvements paid for by savings from energy bills; continuing improvements in the energy efficiency of new homes; incentives for local authorities to deliver sustainable development, including for new homes; and retaining energy performance certificates.
	In addition enhanced provisions for Part L of the building regulations will be introduced from 1 October this year, representing a 25% increase in existing energy efficiency requirements for new homes.
	These policies and programmes will support sustainable housing development in Coventry as elsewhere in the country.

Housing: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing nominations have been received by each London local authority from each partner authority in each London sub-regional partnership since their inception.

Andrew Stunell: This information is not held by the Department for Communities and Local Government as made clear in the reply to the hon. Member's question of 30 March 2010,  Official Report, column 1141W.

Local Government

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to reorganise local government; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Government have no plans for further reorganisation of local government and in particular for further invitations for unitary authorities.

Local Government Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account he takes of population growth in deciding on levels of funding for local authorities.

Bob Neill: In distributing formula grant to local authorities, we use the sub-national population projections that are produced by the Office for National Statistics.

Local Government: Petitions

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his plans are for bringing into effect regulations requiring local authorities to make provision for responding to petitions.

Greg Clark: The requirement for local authorities to make provision for responding to petitions came into effect on 15 June 2010. The requirement for local authorities to provide a facility for making petitions in electronic form comes into effect on 15 December 2010. We are concerned that the implementation of these regulations by the last Government have been bureaucratic and cumbersome, and are reviewing how unnecessary prescription can be removed, while protecting and enhancing the democratic voice of local residents.

Members: Correspondence

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Tottenham of 2 July 2010 on the Decentralisation and Localism Bill.

Greg Clark: A response was sent to the right hon. Member on 20 July inviting him to contact my office to arrange a personal meeting with me to discuss his concerns.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 221-22W, on mortgages: Government assistance, if he will continue to maintain and fund his Department's Mortgage Help website beyond the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Grant Shapps: I am committed to working with partners, including lenders, debt advisers and local authorities, to provide effective help and advice for homeowners at risk of repossession, including through provisions of the MortgageHelp website.
	Decisions on funding for future years will be taken as part of the spending review process.

Non-domestic Rates

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to making small business rate relief automatic; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: We are committed to finding a practical way to make SBRR automatic. We are currently considering how best to do this and to what time scale. Any measure to automate small business rate relief requires primary legislation.

Non-domestic Rates: Charities

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which local authorities exercise the power to grant additional discretionary business rate relief for charity shops.

Bob Neill: As at 31 December 2009, local authorities reported they were granting discretionary charity relief to 32,100 hereditaments. It is not possible to identify shops separately from other hereditaments granted charity relief.
	These data were published in Table 4 of a Statistical Release, "National Non-domestic rates to be collected by local authorities in England 2010-11", that is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/nondomesticrates/forecast/
	The data were collected on the NNDRl (Supplementary) form completed by all billing authorities in England in January and February 2010.

Ordnance Survey: Public Sector

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce his decision on whether to proceed with the Public Sector Mapping Agreement with Ordnance Survey; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA) has now been formally concluded between Ordnance Survey and the Department for Communities and Local Government and will come into effect from 1 April 2011. This commercial agreement enables all parts of the public sector in England and Wales to access core national mapping data free at the point of use. The agreement will better enable the sharing of information between public sector organisations and will help to maximise the use of geographic information for the benefit of the nation.
	A transition plan for migration from the current public sector collective purchasing arrangements to the PSMA is available on the Departmental website at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/transitionplanaug2010

Ordnance Survey: Public Sector

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings  (a) he and  (b) officials in his Department (i) have had in the last 12 months and (ii) plan to have with private sector organisations on the proposed Public Sector Mapping Agreement with Ordnance Survey.

Bob Neill: During the consultation on "Policy options for geographic information from Ordnance Survey" officials met with the following private sector organisations:
	Getmapping
	Infoterra.
	Officials have since met with the following private sector organisations to discuss the Public Sector Mapping Agreement:
	Association for Geographic Information
	Getmapping
	Locus Association
	Intelligent Addressing
	Microsoft.
	Baroness Hanham is scheduled to meet with Locus Association soon and officials will also be meeting The GeoInformation Group.

Renewable Energy: Planning Permission

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to paragraph 22 of Planning Policy Statement 22, whether he plans to maintain the provision that local planning authorities can set minimum separation distances between different types of renewable energy projects and existing developments.

Bob Neill: This paragraph in Planning Policy Statement 22 concerns noise impacts. It looks to local planning authorities to ensure renewable energy developments are located and designed to minimise increases in ambient noise levels.
	The paragraph advises that plans may include criteria that set out the minimum separation distances between different types of renewable energy projects and existing developments. For wind energy developments, paragraph 22 explains that the 1997 report by the Energy and Technology Support Unit for the Department of Trade and Industry should be used to assess and rate noise. This report considered that absolute noise limits applied at all wind speeds are not suited to wind farms in typical UK locations and that limits set relative to the background noise are more appropriate in the majority of cases.
	We have stated in the coalition agreement that we will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. We will make an announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy.

Right to Buy Scheme

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department issues guidance on the appropriate timetable for right to buy sales to individual tenants.

Andrew Stunell: The Department's booklet, "Your Right to Buy your home", provides information on the statutory time scales for right to buy applications. The booklet is freely available in hard copy and on the Department's website.

Social Rented Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing units there were in each local authority area in  (a) 1981,  (b) 2001 and  (c) the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many of these were (i) studio and one-bedroom, (ii) two-bedroom, (iii) three-bedroom and (iv) four-bedroom properties.

Andrew Stunell: Information from the 1981 and 2001 Censuses is available for the number of households occupying social housing-in 1981 this includes households occupying local authority housing, housing associations and charitable trusts; in 2001 this includes households occupying local authority housing and other social housing including rented from registered social landlords, housing associations, housing co-operatives and charitable trusts.
	The most recent figures provide the number of social dwellings in 2009. The number of local authority owned dwellings as at 1 April is supplied by local authorities through the annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA). The number of registered social landlord (RSL) owned dwellings as at 31 March is supplied by RSLs through the annual Regulatory and Statistical Return (collected by the Tenant Services Authority). These figures include vacant dwellings.
	A table showing information on the number of social housing units in each local authority in 1981, 2001 and 2009 has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Information on the number of units by bedroom size for each local authority area is not collected centrally.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department and its predecessors spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: The Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have published their spending data for 2009-10 on the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/spendingdata0910
	Details of taxi fares are included in these figures.
	Staff also claimed £38,678 back through the Department's Travel and Subsistence system and a further £3,142 through the Government Procurement Card (GPC) for taxi use.
	We intend to publish spending data for 2008-09 in due course as part of our continuing transparency initiatives but details of expenditure in earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department and its predecessors has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the value of facilities provided by his Department and its predecessors for use by trade unions in each year since 1997.

Grant Shapps: This Department does not pay any money directly to the trade unions representing staff nor are we able, without disproportionate cost, to make an estimate of the total value of facilities provided since 1997. We pay the salary and related costs (travel and subsistence etc) for a number of CLG headquarters staff undertaking industrial relations and trade unions activities in this Department on a full and part-time basis. This totalled £145,000 in 2008-09 and £93,000 in 2009-10. In addition, a number of staff receive facility time alongside their normal departmental roles. All these staff are provided with accommodation, IT equipment and use of meeting rooms on the same basis as other departmental staff.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997.

Grant Shapps: In 2008-09, the number of days staff in the Department spent on all trade union activities was 1075.50 days. Equivalent information is not currently available for 2009-10 and could not be obtained for the period prior to 2008-09 without disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as information for 2009-10 is available.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

Grant Shapps: In 2008-09, the number of staff in the Department who spent specified numbers of days on all trade union activities was as follows:
	
		
			  Number of days  Number of staff 
			 5 days or fewer 13 
			 5-10 days 2 
			 10-15 days 2 
			 15-20 days 0 
			 20-25 days 1 
			 25 days or more 7 
		
	
	Included in the seven staff working 25 days or more are staff working on trade union activities on a full or part-time basis. Equivalent information is not currently available for 2009-10 and could not be obtained for the period prior to 2008-09 without disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as information for 2009-10 is available.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department and its predecessors spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: Since December 2008 the Department has spent £6,443 on wine through its facilities management supplier.
	Wine was supplied in connection with official functions and the expenditure has been incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	Details on expenditure for earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Police Time: Administration

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the proportion of police officers' time spent on administrative tasks.

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the proportion of police officers' time spent on administrative tasks.

Nick Herbert: I have spoken to many officers about the time that they have to spend filling out forms. The Government are committed to reducing bureaucracy so that the police can get back on to the streets dealing with crime.

European Investigation Order

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received on the implications for the UK of the decision to opt into the provisions of EU legislation on the European investigation order; and if she will make a statement.

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received on the decision that the UK should opt in to the provisions of EU legislation on the European investigation order.

Theresa May: As my hon. Friend is aware, I made an oral statement in this House on 27 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 881-82, confirming our decision to opt into the European Investigation Order. Since opting in, I have received representations from Justice and Fair Trials International. Copies of these will be provided to the European Scrutiny Committees in both Houses.

Licensing

David Rutley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of implementation of the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003.

Theresa May: The coalition Government made a commitment to overhaul the Licensing Act, as it had failed to ensure that communities were protected from crime and antisocial behaviour associated with the night time economy. We launched the consultation 'Rebalancing the Licensing Act' on 28 July and it closes on 8 September. Following the analysis of the responses, we will be taking forward proposals in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill.

Alcohol Sales

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from industry bodies on proposals to ban the sale of alcohol at below cost price.

Theresa May: The Government set out a commitment to ban the sale of alcohol below cost price in the coalition agreement. This proposal forms part of the consultation 'Rebalancing the Licensing Act' which closes on 8 September. The responses to the consultation have not yet been analysed, however, we have held seven national and seven regional stakeholder events where the issue of below cost sales was discussed with representatives' of the alcohol trade.

Asylum Backlog

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department is making in processing the backlog of asylum applications made prior to 2010.

Damian Green: In 2006 a backlog of approximately 450,000 older paper and electronic asylum cases were identified, this is widely known as the "legacy" caseload. I informed this House during oral questions in June 2010 that that the Case Resolution Directorate had concluded 277,000 legacy cases up to the end of May 2010. The chief executive of the UK Border Agency, Lin Homer updates the Home Affairs Select Committee on a regular basis regarding the progress made in resolving these cases. She is due to report again to the Committee this autumn.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) anti-social behaviour orders and  (b) parenting orders have been issued in each local authority area since their introduction.

Nick Herbert: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available from 1 April 1999. The latest available data on the number of ASBOs issued covers the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008.
	Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of ASBOs and parenting orders issued are not available below criminal justice system (CJS) area level. A further breakdown could only be ascertained by reference to individual court files, which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	Parenting orders were piloted between 30 September 1998 and 31 March 2000 and commenced in England and Wales in June 2000. Data showing the breakdown by area for the period 30 September 1998 and 31 March 2000 are not available. The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has since April 2000 collected the number of parenting orders by youth offending team (YOT) area, as reported to it by youth offending teams. The available information is shown in the table A which has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
	The Department for Education has collected and published data on education-related parenting orders since 2004. The number of parenting orders issued in each local authority in England between September 2004 and August 2009 is shown in table B which has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in  (a) Doncaster,  (b) South Yorkshire and  (c) England since 2007.

James Brokenshire: The latest available data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued cover the period up to 31 December 2008.
	During 2007, the number of ASBOs issued at all courts in  (b) South Yorkshire Criminal Justice System (CJS) area and  (c) England was 49 and 2,136 respectively. The equivalent figures for 2008 are 47 and 1,902 respectively.
	Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level. A further breakdown could be ascertained only by reference to individual court files, which could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

Asylum

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department measures the incidence of destitution as defined under the National Assistance Act 1948 among the asylum seeker community.

Damian Green: No asylum seeker need be destitute while their claim is being determined. The UK Border Agency provides support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute from the time they arrive in the UK until their claim is decided, and any appeal rights are exhausted. Therefore, we do not measure the incidence of destitution among the asylum seeker community.

Asylum: Deportation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency spent on  (a) scheduled air flights and  (b) chartering flights for the deportation of failed asylum seekers in each of the last 12 months.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency spent £18,073,370 on scheduled flights and £10,300,000 on chartered flights for the financial year 2009-10 on public expense removals.
	The total cost of scheduled and chartered flights includes administration cost plus cancellation fees.
	It is not possible to disaggregate the costs for removal of unsuccessful asylum seekers from the overall removal figures without the examination of individual records at disproportionate cost. Therefore this cost represents the removal of failed asylum seekers, foreign national prisoners and immigration offenders.
	This is internal management information and has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. It is provisional and therefore may be subject to change.

Asylum: Deportation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 
	(1)  failed asylum seekers have been deported under the fast-track process in each of the last 24 months;
	(2)  deportations of failed asylum seekers were pending under the fast-track process at the time of Mr Justice Silber's ruling that the process was unlawful;
	(3)  appeals made by failed asylum seekers deported under the fast-track system were upheld following removal in each of the last two years;
	(4)  failed asylum seekers deported under the fast-track process were removed with  (a) 72 hours of notice,  (b) 48 hours of notice and  (c) 24 hours of notice in each of the last two years;
	(5)  failed asylum seekers deported under the fast-track process in each of the last two years were children.

Damian Green: On 16 July 2010 Mr Justice Silber quashed the UK Border Agency's policy of giving less than 72 hours notice of removal in certain exceptional categories of persons being removed from the UK. This policy applied to all removals, including non-asylum removals, and was entirely different from the detained fast-track process which covers asylum decision making.
	According to management information, the policy which was quashed by the court was applied 145 times between 12 March 2007 and 21 May 2010, when the policy was suspended by order of the court as an interim measure. We have broken this down by year as follows:
	
		
			   Number of children served removal directions with less than 72 hours notice  Total number served removal directions with less than 72 hours notice (includes the children figures above) 
			 2007 23 43 
			 2008 28 34 
			 2009 20 31 
			 2010 1 37 
			 Total 72 145 
		
	
	We only have information on the number of cases where less than 72 hours notice of removal was given. We do not have information on how many of these cases were given less than 48 hours or 24 hours notice of removal. We do not have information on how many of these removees were failed asylum seekers.
	Cases which would have been removed under this policy are being processed in alternative ways and are currently all being given at least 72 hours notice of removal. There are not any cases on hold pending the outcome of this litigation.
	Those who were removed under the policy will have already exhausted any statutory rights of appeal against the UK Border Agency's decision not to grant leave and/or to remove before removal action was initiated. However, those being removed under the policy may apply for permission to seek judicial review of their removal directions or they may seek an injunction preventing removal from the court. In the 145 cases set out above, management information that we provided to the court shows that 11 removals were prevented from proceeding because an injunction was sought or obtained, a judicial review application was lodged or threatened, or further representations were submitted for consideration.

Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to make an order under section 58(2) of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 to commence sections 39 to 41 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

Damian Green: holding answer 27 July 2010
	Sections 39-41, part of section 49 and section 58 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 contain new provisions on naturalisation. The previous Government planned to commence this legislation in July 2011 as part of their plans for an "earned citizenship" policy. Until this happens the legislation is not in force and so does not alter the British Nationality Act 1981 and applicants for naturalisation continue to be considered under the current provisions of that Act.
	I believe that broad reform to the path to settlement and citizenship is necessary and I am currently considering the best way to achieve that. I hope to make an announcement in the near future.

Borders: Personal Records

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department assessed the merits of changing the scope of the e-Borders contract in response to representations from Raytheon on the implications of EU data privacy regulations for the roll-out of the e-Borders programme.

Damian Green: The decision to terminate the contract with Raytheon was taken after careful consideration of all the issues and on the basis of the supplier's performance not having been compliant with their contractual obligations.
	Officials continue to engage in regular dialogue with the EU Commission on matters relating to the e-Borders programme, including the EU personal data protection directive. This dialogue has informed the management and direction of the e-Borders programme.

Borders: Personal Records

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions changes were made to the e-Borders contract specification between the letting of that contract and May 2010; and what assessment she made of the effect on the timetable for delivering the contract of  (a) changing the location of the National Border Targeting Centre and  (b) the change in security clearance requirements for personnel working on the e-Borders programme.

Damian Green: There were 58 changes to the specifications for the contract formally agreed between the parties, many of which dealt with relatively minor changes.
	The change in location of the National Border Targeting Centre did not affect the timescale for delivering the contract.
	A number of concessions were made to expedite the security clearance requirements for personnel from the service provider working on the e-Borders programme to ensure the time scale for delivering the contract could be met.

Borders: Personal Records

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has paid Deloitte Consulting for its work on the e-Borders programme since September 2005.

Damian Green: Since September 2005 the Home Department has paid Deloitte Consulting £37,300,000 in respect of work connected with the e-Borders programme.

Community Policing

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood police teams there were in  (a) May 1997 and  (b) May 2010.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office did not keep a record of the number of neighbourhood policing teams that there were in 1997. While elements of neighbourhood policing were being practiced in 1997, it was not until 2003 that the Home Office began a National Reassurance Policing programme to pilot neighbourhood policing teams in their present form. The Home Office collected information on the number of neighbourhood policing teams until 2008. The last count, in September 2008 showed 3,603 teams. To reduce the burden of bureaucracy on forces, the Home Office no longer collects these data. The number of neighbourhood policing teams is an issue for individual police forces and authorities.

Crime: Wildlife

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to increase provision for the recording of wildlife crime.

Nick Herbert: We have no plans to increase provision for the recording of wildlife crime in England and Wales.

Departmental Allowances

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on  (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and  (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in each year since 1997.

Nick Herbert: Due to the wide scope of the question and the period of time required this information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The Home Office accounting systems do not identify separately expense claims from other types of payment. This information cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Home Office expenditure on reimbursement of staff expenses conforms to departmental guidance and policy which complies with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Billing

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of payments made by her Department to  (a) small and medium-sized enterprise suppliers and  (b) all suppliers were made (i) within 10 days of receipt of invoice and (ii) on the agreed payment terms in the last three months for which information is available.

Nick Herbert: The Department's performance of paying all compliant invoices from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within 10 days of receipt for the last three months is:
	
		
			   Total compliant SME invoices paid on 10 day terms  (a) (i) Compliant SME invoices on 10 day terms paid within terms  Percentage within terms 
			 April 604 520 86 
			 May 566 499 88 
			 June 543 487 90 
		
	
	The Department does not pay SMEs to terms other than within 10 days of receipt. The Department's performance of paying all compliant invoices for all suppliers within 10 days of receipt for the last three months is:
	
		
			   Total compliant invoices paid on 10 day terms  (b) (i) Compliant invoices on 10 day terms paid within terms  Percentage within terms 
			 April 1,535 1,308 85 
			 May 1,506 1,308 87 
			 June 1,537 1,407 92 
		
	
	The Department's performance of paying all compliant invoices for all suppliers within agreed payment terms for the last three months is:
	
		
			   Total compliant invoices paid-all payment terms  (b) (ii) Compliant invoices paid within terms-all payment terms  Percentage within terms 
			 April 1,860 1,617 87 
			 May 1,804 1,572 87 
			 June 1,861 1,714 92

Departmental Communication

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have been issued by the private office of each Minister in her Department on the preparation of briefing, speeches and replies to official correspondence.

Nick Herbert: Guidance on drafting briefings, speeches and replies to official correspondence for Home Office Ministers is held on the internal website which is accessible to all Home Office staff. The guidance includes information on ministerial preferences and general best practice on preparing effective briefing.

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which IT contracts awarded by her Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was.

Nick Herbert: In the last five financial years no IT contracts awarded by the Home Department have been abandoned.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual expenditure on vehicles of  (a) her Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which her Department is responsible in each English region was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.

Nick Herbert: Please see the following table for the answer to parts  (a) and  (b). It is not possible to divide the vehicle expenditure into each English region without incurring disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  £000 
			 2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Core Home Office Purchases 1,342 2,241 276 20 
			   Running Costs 3,059 3,849 410 211 
			
			 Agency United Kingdom Borders Agency Purchases (1)- (1)- 506 2,025 
			   Running Costs (1)- (1)- 7,463 8,579 
			
			 NDPB Independent Police Complaints Commission Purchases 396 14 0 0 
			   Running Costs 83 68 77 80 
			
			 NDPB National Police Improvement Agency Purchases 24 304 723 0 
			   Running Costs 140 306 186 140 
			
			 NDPB Serious and Organised Crime Agency Purchases 4,490 4,600 2,270 1,500 
			   Running Costs 7,954 7,760 7,140 6,676 
			
			 NDPB Independent Safeguarding Authority Purchases 0 0 0 0 
			   Running Costs 0 13 15 8 
			 (1) Included in HO figure. 
		
	
	The Identity and Passport Service, Criminal Records Bureau, Security Industry Authority and Office of the Immigration Service Commission have confirmed that they have had no expenditure on vehicles during the last three years and do not forecast any expenditure in 2010-11.
	These figures do not include any expenditure on chauffeur services incurred by the Home Office.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) her Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which she is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Nick Herbert: The Department does not record employer pension contributions based on employee region or country. The Department publishes consolidated resource accounts which detail the pension costs for headquarters and the Executive Agencies; UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau. Table 1 details the consolidated employer pension costs for this group, as published in the annual Resource Accounts.
	The Home Office has responsibility for a number of executive, advisory and tribunal NDPBs. Table 2 shows the pension costs of the executive NDPBs, which are taken from the relevant annual publications. The pension costs for the other Home Office NDPBs are not recorded centrally and would incur disproportionate to obtain. A list of advisory and tribunal NDPBs is shown in Table 3.
	For 2007-08 and 2008-09, employer pension contributions to the principle civil service pension scheme were payable at one of four rates in the range 17.1% to 25.5% of the employees pensionable pay, based on salary bands. The Scheme Actuary reviews employer contributions every four years. Following a full scheme valuation the rates for 2009-10 were in the range 16.7% to 24.3%. The employer contribution rates are set to meet the cost of the benefits accruing during the financial year when the member retires, and not the benefits paid during the period to existing pensioners.
	The Department is currently undertaking cost savings initiatives, which includes running an early departure scheme for surplus staff. This will affect the total staff numbers in service and the grade mix meaning it is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of 2010-11 pension contributions.
	
		
			  Table 1: Home Office Forensic Science Service and Executive Agencies, total employer pension costs 
			   £000 
			 2007-08 124,064 
			 2008-09 168,912 
			 2009-10 159,819 
			  Source:  Home Office Resource Accounts 2008-09 and 2009-10. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2:  Home Office Executive-NDPBs, total pension costs 
			  £000 
			  NDPB  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Independent Police Complaints Commission 2,807 3,043 3,090 
			 Independent Safeguarding Authority 7 598 1,123 
			 National Policing Improvement Agency 8,364 9,107 13,302 
			 Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner 448 439 399 
			 Security Industry Authority 722 870 1,074 
			 Serious Organised Crime Agency 35,331 32,556 31,168 
			  Sources:  IPCC Annual Report and Statements of Accounts 2008-09 to 2009-10 ISA Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 to 2009-10 NPIA Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 to 2009-10 OISC Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 to 2009-10 SIA Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 to 2009-10 SOCA Statement of Accounts 2008-09 to 2009-10 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: List of Home Office Advisory and Tribunal NDPBs 
			   NDPBs 
			 Advisory NDPBs Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs 
			  Animal Procedures Committee 
			  Migration Advisory Committee 
			  National DNA Database Ethics Board 
			  Police Advisory Board for England and Wales 
			  Police Negotiating Board 
			  Technical Advisory Board 
			   
			 Tribunal NDPBs Investigatory Powers Tribunal 
			  Office of Surveillance Commissioners 
			  Police Arbitration Tribunal 
			  Police Discipline Appeals Tribunal

Departmental Public Consultation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to increase the involvement of young members of the public in the making of decisions that affect them by  (a) Ministers in her Department,  (b) officials in her Department and  (c) public bodies which fall within her Department's area of responsibility.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office aims to enhance public involvement in policy and decision-making. We want young people to be more engaged in this work and are currently considering how best to increase their involvement.
	For example, initiatives have included internship programmes to provide exposure to policy-making for a number of young people. We will also ensure that young people have every opportunity to contribute their views to public consultations.

Departmental Public Relations

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value was of  (a) public opinion research and  (b) public relations contracts awarded by her Department in each of the last five years in (i) each (A) nation and (B) region of the UK and (ii) London.

Nick Herbert: The monetary value of public opinion research and public relations contracts awarded by the Home Office (excluding executive agencies) during each of the last five financial years (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 20008-09 and 20009-10) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Public opinion research (£)  PR contracts (£) 
			 2005-06 Nil 1,201,622 
			 2006-07 60,575 597,921 
			 2007-08 91,325 290,584 
			 2008-09 212,830 839,994 
			 2009-10 240,816 382,054 
		
	
	All polling during these years was undertaken using a nationally representative sample. We have not undertaken any polls by individual city or region. Costs are provided on this basis and cannot be broken down by specific expenditure per nation, region or city.
	Public relation contracts are awarded for national campaigns in England and Wales, and therefore cannot be broken down further by region or city.

Departmental Responsibilities

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated to external organisations which undertake work for her Department in respect of immigration and asylum matters in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: Details of the funding allocated to external associations in each of the last three years will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Deportation

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) foreign national offenders,  (b) failed asylum seekers,  (c) foreign nationals who have overstayed in the UK and  (d) illegal entrants to the UK were deported in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Total removals(1) 58,215 63,865 63,365 67,980 (*)64,750 
			 Asylum cases(2) 15,685 18,280 13,705 12,875 10,815 
			 Non-asylum cases(3) 42,530 45,585 49,660 55,105 53,930 
			   
			 Non-asylum overstayers(4) 5,811 5,717 8,775 11,032 10,647 
			 Non-asylum illegal entrants(4) 2,995 3,445 3,593 4,152 3,909 
			 * Published statistics figures are rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.  (1 )In answering this PQ "foreign national offenders" has been taken to mean immigration offenders and deportation has been taken to mean removals. Total removals relates to all immigration offenders removed and includes total removals and voluntary departures from the United Kingdom. This includes both in country and port removals. This data was taken from published immigration statistics (http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html).  (2 )The PQ asks for the number of failed asylum seekers that have been deported in each of the last five years. It is not possible to say what stage in the asylum process the returnees as a whole have reached at the time of their removal, including whether their claim has failed at that point, because those departing voluntarily can do so at any stage. For this reason we have interpreted this as the number of asylum cases, including dependants, removed and departing voluntarily from the UK. This data was taken from published immigration statistics (http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats, html).  (3) Data on the number of non-asylum cases, including dependants, removed and departing voluntarily from the UK has been provided from published immigration statistics (http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html).  (4) Data on non-asylum overstayers and non-asylum illegal entrants is taken from Management Information as the published statistics do not break the removals down into these case types. These figures form part of the total number of non-asylum cases. Other cases that contribute to this figure include for example, administrative removal cases such as breach of employment restrictions. It should also be noted that Management Information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and hence is subject to change. Statistics to be used publicly or for other Government Departments or agencies must be agreed with the Migration Statistics.

Deportation: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many times physical force has been used to board a child under the age of 18 years on to an aeroplane by each company contracted to provide UK Border Agency escorts in each month of the last five years;
	(2)  whether  (a) staff in immigration removal centres and  (b) UK Border Agency escort providers have been authorised to use the holds and techniques on children under the age of 18 years referred to in the Physical Control in Care manual;
	(3)  what training on the control and restraint of children under the age of 18 years has been provided by the Prison Service  (a) in each immigration removal centre and  (b) to each company contracted to provide UK Border Agency escorts;
	(4)  how many times  (a) she and  (b) the manager of a (i) directly-managed and (ii) contracted-out immigration removal centre has ordered a detained child in each removal centre under the age of 18 years to be put under special control or restraint for (A) injuring himself or others, (B) damaging property and (C) creating a disturbance in each month of each of the last five years;
	(5)  what techniques are in the category of special control and restraint; how many times each of the techniques has been used on a child under the age of 18 years  (a) in each immigration removal centre and  (b) by each company contracted to provide UK Border Agency escorts in each of the last 12 months; and for how long each technique was used in each case.

Damian Green: Use of restraint is governed by schedule 13 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and specifically in relation to Immigration Removal Centres, by the Detention Centre Rules 2001.
	In order to exercise any use of restraint, detention custody officers and escorts must be accredited by the Secretary of State, a condition of which is that they have undergone training of techniques approved by the National Offender Management Service. Officers receive refresher training every 12 months. Any use of restraint must be justified, proportionate and for the shortest possible period to achieve the objective.
	Some officers receive specialist training in the use of restraint on children using non-pain compliant techniques (Physical Control in Care), including shepherding and guiding.
	We only use restraint on a child where it is strictly necessary to prevent self-harm or to protect others and property. In very exceptional circumstances, officers may be given authority to restrain a child in order to enforce their removal from the United Kingdom where every effort has been made to secure their compliance, but unfortunately they refuse to do so, often encouraged by their parents.
	In the 12 months to June 2010, the period for which data are available, officers have been authorised to restrain children on 18 occasions for the purposes of removal. However, it was only necessary to restrain three of them. One further child was restrained in an immigration removal centre when officers had reason to believe she might self-harm.
	The following table shows the occasions from 2008 to the present time when children were restrained by officers to board an aircraft. Such information is not available prior to 2008. The officers were provided by G4S on each occasion.
	
		
			   Number of times restraint used 
			 February 2010 1 
			 September 2009 1 
			 August 2009 1 
			 March 2009 1 
			 January 2009 4 
			 September 2008 1 
			 June 2008 2 
			 April 2008 1 
			 March 2008 1 
		
	
	The above data are based on management information, and are not subject to the detailed checks carried out for National Statistics. They are provisional and subject to change.
	Special restraint involves the use of any device other than handcuffs such as leg restraints (velcro straps). No child has been subjected to special control or restraint in the last five years.

Detainees: Children

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been detained in each UK Border Agency immigration removal centre since 6 May 2010.

Damian Green: Information on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers relating to the second quarter 2010 is available in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom, April-June 2010, published on 26 August 2010, in the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	The Government have been clear in their commitment to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. We therefore continue to work with our corporate partners to find an alternative that protects the welfare of children, without undermining our immigration laws.

Detention Centres

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places there are in each immigration removal centre in England and Wales; and what the planned number of places is for each of the next five years.

Damian Green: The following table details the current numbers of beds in each immigration removal centre (IRC) in England.
	
		
			  Immigration removal centre  Location  Capacity 
			 Brook House Gatwick 426 
			 Campsfield House Oxford 216 
			 Colnbrook Heathrow 308 
			 Dover Kent 316 
			 Harmondsworth Heathrow 615 
			 Haslar Gosport 160 
			 Lindholme Doncaster 124 
			 Oakington Cambridge 408 
			 Tinsley House Gatwick 146 
			 Yarl's Wood Bedford 405 
			 Total  3,124 
		
	
	The UK Border Agency operates a further IRC in Scotland, Dungavel House, which provides 217 beds and three short-term holding facilities providing 118 beds. There are no IRCs in Wales.
	The UK Border Agency will be closing the centre at Oakington in November 2010 and the short-term holding facility at Harwich in the same month; it is considering options for expanding the detention estate but decisions will not be taken until after the comprehensive spending review.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the number of DNA matches made with the National DNA Database since 4 December 2008 in respect of individuals who were not  (a) charged or  (b) found guilty of the offence for which their DNA was originally taken.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not collected

DNA: Databases

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress she has made on her proposals to adopt the protections of the Scottish model for the national DNA database; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: We have made clear that the National DNA Database should focus on the guilty rather than the innocent, including those who have been convicted but whose DNA has not previously been taken.
	The Government will bring forward proposals in the Freedom Bill later this year to adopt the protections of the Scottish model and end the indefinite retention of DNA taken from those not convicted of crime. This will mean that DNA from those not convicted is only held in the case of serious offences, and then only for a limited period. DNA taken in respect of a minor offence will not be retained at all for those who are not convicted.

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to issue type approval for drug testing devices to be used by the police for the screening of motorists.

James Brokenshire: We aim to issue and discuss with manufacturers by the end of September a final draft specification for a device that could be type approved. How soon after that devices are approved will depend on how quickly manufacturers put forward devices for approval, how well those devices perform in tests, how quickly manufacturers make any adjustments identified as necessary and how quickly they sign formal agreements with the Home Office recognising their obligations under type approval.

Entry Clearances

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken from application date to issue date for a visa to enter the UK from  (a) overseas and  (b) Pakistan was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 655W.
	Please note that visa processing times are counted from the date that the application is lodged to the date that either (a) the applicant's passport is sent back to the applicant, or (b) the applicant is contacted and informed that their passport is ready for collection.

Firearms: Licensing

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gun licences were granted to people under the age of 16 years in each of the last four years.

Damian Green: The requested information is not collected centrally. It is not possible to provide the number of shotgun certificates broken down by age.

Human Trafficking

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on measures to combat human trafficking for sexual exploitation; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Home Secretary discussed the importance of international co-operation in combating human trafficking with G6 counterparts (France, Germany, Spain, Poland and Italy) at a meeting in Varese, Italy, between 28-29 May.
	Ministers have also discussed human trafficking with EU counterparts at Justice and Home Affairs Council meetings. The Justice Secretary attended the Council meeting on 4 June (on behalf of the Home Office) where the proposed EU Directive on Human Trafficking was discussed and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Prevention, James Brokenshire, attended an informal Council meeting held on 15 July, where human trafficking was discussed in the context of the proposed EU internal security strategy.

Human Trafficking

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent human trafficking for sexual exploitation during the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Our intelligence does not suggest there is any increase in human trafficking linked with the Olympics at the moment. This is in line with the research evidence, which does not suggest a link between major sporting events and an increase in trafficking.
	However, we remain vigilant. We are reviewing the intelligence on a quarterly basis and have law enforcement measures in place to deal with any potential increase in the threat. The Metropolitan police are working to disrupt prostitution and recover victims in areas around the Olympic Park. Closer to the event we will, in line with need, consider whether additional awareness raising and victim care arrangements need to be put into place.

Human Trafficking

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated for research into the prevention of human trafficking and the rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking in each year from 2010 to 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: For the current financial year the Home Office is providing £1 million, together with £0.9 million from the Ministry of Justice, in grants to support adult victims of human trafficking.
	There is no funding for research into prevention of human trafficking for the current financial year.
	The level of funding available in future years for human trafficking is yet to be decided.

Human Trafficking

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the number of illegal immigrants who were trafficked for the purpose of prostitution who are resident in the UK.

Damian Green: The latest estimate of the numbers of victims of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation in the United Kingdom is provided by the Acumen Report which was produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
	This wide ranging study carried out in 2009 estimates that there are at least 2,600 victims in England and Wales. The report did not attempt to investigate the immigration status of victims but attempts to understand the nature and scale of trafficking among foreign sex workers in the off-street market.
	Tackling border and immigration crime is a top priority for the UK Border Agency which is actively combating illegal working, sham marriages, bogus colleges and facilitation.

Identity Documents Bill

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State had with officials on the effects on transgender people of enactment of the provisions of the Identity Documents Bill prior to 25 June 2010; and whether the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State considered any written submissions from officials on this subject.

Damian Green: holding answer 27 July 2010
	It is not the normal practice to publish details of the content and timing of written or oral advice provided by departmental officials to Ministers.
	Scrapping the identity cards scheme as provided in the Identity Documents Bill, will not impact on the ability of transgendered people to access services or to travel in their chosen gender.

Illegal Immigrants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were found  (a) at each of the main ports of entry to the UK and  (b) in total in each year since 1997.

Damian Green: It is Government policy to publish UK Border Agency and UK Border Force management information at a regional level, as location specific information could prove valuable to those who seek to circumvent and abuse our immigration controls.
	The following table gives the number of illegal entrants detected by officers of the United Kingdom Border Agency at UK ports of entry, between 2005 and 2009.
	
		
			   Region  
			   Central  South  North  Heathrow  Total 
			 2009 168 180 24 0 372 
			 2008 215 257 49 1 522 
			 2007 108 400 52 0 560 
			 2006 105 296 50 0 451 
			 2005 98 219 109 1 427 
		
	
	In addition the UK Border Agency has officers at our juxtaposed controls stopping illegal entrants before they can enter the UK. In the calendar year 2009 for example, officers at the juxtaposed controls stopped over 29,000 people attempting to cross the channel illegally.
	The following years cannot be accurately broken down between regions and those detected inland. The following table gives the total number of illegal entrants detected in those years. A significant number of these will have been detected inland.
	
		
			   Illegal entrants detected 
			 2004 22,972 
			 2003 11,515 
			 2002 48,050 
			 2001 69,875 
			 2000 47,235 
			 1999 21,165 
			 1998 16,500 
			 1997 14,390

Immigration Controls

James Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to page 21 of the Coalition Agreement, what steps she has taken to reintroduce exit checks at UK borders.

Damian Green: The Government are committed to re-introducing exit checks by 2014. Protecting the border is a priority for this Government, and we are actively looking at how exit checks can be achieved with the support of the e-Borders programme.

Immigration: Deportation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency has spent on contractors to facilitate removal of individuals deported in each of the last 24 months.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency has one contract with a private supplier to escort individuals who are being removed from the United Kingdom.
	Additionally, it engages the services of two other suppliers to deliver services at times of high demand. The value of contracts between the UK Border Agency and its escorting suppliers is commercially sensitive and cannot therefore be disclosed since it might compromise competition.

Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the representations it received during the consultation meetings between her Department and residents of Lindholme on the proposed expansion of Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre.

Damian Green: Officials from the UK Border Agency held an exhibition at HMP Lindholme on 4 March 2010 to display and discuss plans of the proposed extension at Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre. 12 comments were collected from over 50 residents who attended.
	UK Border Agency officials also attended a meeting in July of the Lindholme Village Action Group during which they participated in a question and answer session. Officials were presented with a document prepared by the Action Group which detailed their concerns and points to be addressed as part of any planning consent that Doncaster council may agree to. These were also sent to the Council and included:
	Adoption of the roads around the site
	Resurfacing of a road
	Appointing one of the roads as a "dead-end"
	Improved screening of the Centre
	Installation of traffic lights
	The UK Border Agency considered the points carefully before submitting the application. Many were for the local authority to address rather than the UK Border Agency or indeed the Ministry of Justice. The UK Border Agency has agreed to consider, subject to financial constraints, assisting in the improvement of the immediate area around the Centre as part of any new construction work but it has no influence over the local authority's decision making processes.
	The UK Border Agency submitted an application to the local authority for planning consent in July 2010. It is available on Doncaster council's planning portal. A decision on whether to pursue an extension to Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre at this time is subject to approval of the application and the outcome of the Government's spending review in the autumn.

National Border Targeting Centre

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect the change in location of the National Border Targeting Centre on the timescale for the establishment of the centre.

Damian Green: The decision to change the location of the National Border Targeting Centre (NBTC) had no effect on the timescale for establishment of the centre.

Passport Office: Redundancy

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff on  (a) temporary and  (b) permanent contracts have been made redundant from each passport office since 7 May 2010.

Damian Green: The Identity and Passport Service does not have any staff in either of the categories  (a) or  (b) above who have been made redundant since 7 May 2010.
	I would, however, refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 June 2010,  Official Report, column 552W, which details the early release of staff from the Durham passport office.

Passports

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to maintain passport security.

Theresa May: Passport security is extremely important. In operating the passport business, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) will continue to work to UK Government security standards and international standards on document security. To ensure greater efficiency and an improvement in the detection of fraud, IPS plans to develop a risk based approach to processing passport applications. In relation to document security, a new design of the UK passport will be introduced from 5 October 2010 with improved physical security features. IPS also plans to examine the options for enhancing the electronic security of the UK passport, and for greater investment in facial recognition technology. The IPS will continue to closely monitor international developments in passport security in order to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.

Passports: Biometrics

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future use of biometrics in passports.

Theresa May: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) remains committed to the use of facial biometrics in passports. There are no current plans to introduce a second biometric such as fingerprints into passports.

Police: Domestic Violence

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police overtime was spent on attendance at incidents of domestic violence in each police force area in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold data on what proportion of overtime is spent on different activities.

Police: Doncaster

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers there were in Doncaster on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The latest published figures show that there were 478 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers and 74 FTE police community support officers in post in the Basic Command Unit of Doncaster on 31 March 2010.
	These and other related data are published annually in supplementary tables to the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. Bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House and the latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html

Police: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of employing, training and equipping  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers in (i) England and Wales and (ii) each police force in 2010-11.

Nick Herbert: Police personnel costs are published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountancy (CIPFA). The latest available actual employment costs are for 2008-09 and are £7,811 million for police officers and £430 million for police community support officers (PCSOs). Actual employment costs for each police force in England and Wales are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Police force expenditure 2008-09 
			  £ million 
			  Force  Police officer paybill  PCSO paybill 
			 Avon and Somerset 162.729 10.667 
			 Bedfordshire 63.66 3.074 
			 Cambridgeshire 87.957 5.007 
			 Cheshire 105.021 6.249 
			 City of London 44.109 1.291 
			 Cleveland 82.663 5.083 
			 Cumbria 63.826 2.811 
			 Derbyshire 110.401 4.832 
			 Devon and Cornwall 153.194 6.236 
			 Dorset 79.4 3.886 
			 Durham 83.922 3.996 
			 Dyfed-Powys 68.677 2.229 
			 Essex 189.907 12.315 
			 Gloucestershire 61.843 4.754 
			 Greater Manchester 424.542 21.073 
			 Gwent 81.32 4.051 
			 Hampshire 198.819 8.7 
			 Hertfordshire 112.676 6.88 
			 Humberside 114.825 8.674 
			 Kent 206,103 9.382 
			 Lancashire 186.268 10.01 
			 Leicestershire 123.24 5.502 
			 Lincolnshire 64.682 3.75 
			 Merseyside 272.236 11.336 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,045.542. 140.078 
			 Norfolk 76.011 7.471 
			 North Wales 82.809 4.048 
			 North Yorkshire 69.171 5.066 
			 Northamptonshire 68.31 4.833 
			 Northumbria 210.118 7.861 
			 Nottinghamshire 127.914 6.086 
			 South Wales 172.564 8.692 
			 South Yorkshire 166.847 9.301 
			 Staffordshire 106.494 5.674 
			 Suffolk 71.455 4.123 
			 Surrey 101.775 5.528 
			 Sussex 166.547 9.934 
			 Thames Valley 230.735 14.378 
			 Warwickshire 73.936 0.533 
			 West Mercia 127.105 5.394 
			 West Midlands 424.882 20.101 
			 West Yorkshire 281.644 5.182 
			 Wiltshire 65.105 3.568 
			
			 Total £ million 7,811 430 
			  Source: Chartered institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) 2008-09 
		
	
	Training is delivered either locally by forces, or centrally by NPIA. The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the cost of training police officers and police community support officers.
	The provision of equipment is determined by individual forces. The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the cost of equipping officers and staff.

Police: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the average cost to a police authority of employing a  (a) police officer and  (b) police community support officer; and what estimate she has made of that cost in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Nick Herbert: Police personnel costs are published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). Based on the latest CIPFA figures, in 2008-09 the average employment cost (including salary, national insurance, pension costs and superannuation) was £54,300 per full-time officer and £25,000 per police community support officer.
	The Home Office does not currently collect data from police forces on the pay of individual police officers and staff, and does not hold information on what the average cost of employing a police officer or police community support officer will be from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Police: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to provide funding for operations involving more than one police force to locate and arrest individuals regarded as posing a risk to the public.

Nick Herbert: Mutual aid is the provision of policing assistance from one force to another and falls under section 24 of the Police Act 1996. It is a formal arrangement and is usually provided in response to or in anticipation of a major incident or event, providing overall resilience to the provision of effective policing of the incident and force area in question.
	In circumstances where the lead force incurs exceptional costs (including payment of mutual aid to other forces) they may apply for Special Grant assistance from the Home Office.
	Full Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidance on charging for police services mutual aid cost recovery can be found on the ACPO website at:
	http://www.acpo.police.uk/asp/policies/data/Mutual% 20Aid%20update%20for%202010-11%20rates%20Website.pdf

Police: Manpower

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each year since 1997; and how many police community support officers there were in each year since 2002.

Nick Herbert: The available data can be found in the tables.
	The first police community support officers started work in September 2002, following legislation which was introduced as part of the Police Reform Act 2002. Therefore, data on police community support officers are not available prior to 31 March 2003.
	These and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Police Officer strength in England and Wales( 1) , as at 31 March, 1997 to 2010 
			  Full-time equivalent( 2) 
			   Police officers 
			 1997 125,051 
			 1998 124,756 
			 1999 123,841 
			 2000 121,956 
			 2001 123,476 
			 2002 127,267 
			 2003(3) 131,426 
			 2004(3) 137,105 
			 2005(3) 139,543 
			 2006(3) 139,631 
			 2007(3) 140,032 
			 2008(3) 139,728 
			 2009(3) 141,647 
			 2010(3) 141,631 
			 (1) Figures are for the 43 police forces of England and Wales. (2) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures). (3) Comparable strength (excludes those on career breaks, or maternity/paternity leave). The Police Numbers Task Force (2001) recommended that a clear presentation was made of the numbers of staff employed by police forces including those seconded into the force and those on any type of long or short term absence. These new calculations were first used in 2003, and are not comparable with data prior to March 2003. The data from 2003 onwards used here are termed comparable because they have been calculated on the old basis to allow comparison. 
		
	
	
		
			  PCSO strength in England and Wales( 1) , as at 31 March, 2002 to 2010( 2) 
			  Full-time equivalent( 3) 
			   PCSO 
			 2002(4) n/a 
			 2003 1,176 
			 2004 3,418 
			 2005 6,214 
			 2006 6,769 
			 2007 13,497 
			 2008 15,805 
			 2009 16,507 
			 2010 16,918 
			 (1) Figures are for the 43 police forces of England and Wales. (2) Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (4) Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data is not available prior to 2002-03.

Police: Manpower

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in England and Wales have a dedicated  (a) hi-tech crime,  (b) e-crime,  (c) financial investigation or fraud,  (d) counter-terrorism,  (e) organised crime,  (f) rape and sexual offences,  (g) child abuse and paedophilia,  (h) drugs and  (i) murder unit; and how many police officers are employed in each such unit in each such force.

Nick Herbert: Figures on dedicated units are not collected centrally. Instead, the Home Office collects data on numbers of officers in post broken down by their predominant function (from a list of over 60 categories of function). Figures are provided in the following table on officers in post on 31 March 2009 (the latest available period) for the functions most closely related to the units listed.
	
		
			  Police officer functions( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  in England and Wales as at 31 March 2009 
			   Child/Sex/Domestic/  Missing Persons( 3)  CID Specialist Crime Units  Drugs( 3)  Fraud  Special Branch/Protection/  I mmigration/ Nationality( 3) 
			 Avon and Somerset (3)n/a 0 (3)n/a 7 (3)n/a 
			 Bedfordshire n/a 34 n/a 6 n/a 
			 Cambridgeshire n/a 0 n/a 7 n/a 
			 Cheshire n/a 111 n/a 3 n/a 
			 Cleveland n/a 47 n/a 18 n/a 
			 Cumbria n/a 0 n/a 3 n/a 
			 Derbyshire n/a 98 n/a 12 n/a 
			 Devon and Cornwall n/a 0 n/a 16 n/a 
			 Dorset n/a 17 n/a 14 n/a 
			 Durham n/a 39 n/a 8 n/a 
			 Dyfed-Powys n/a 19 n/a 2 n/a 
			 Essex n/a 0 n/a 1 n/a 
			 Gloucestershire n/a 0 n/a 10 n/a 
			 Greater Manchester n/a 338 n/a 29 n/a. 
			 Gwent n/a 0 n/a 7 n/a 
			 Hampshire n/a 120 n/a 1 n/a 
			 Hertfordshire n/a 0 n/a 14 n/a 
			 Humberside n/a 0 n/a 20 n/a 
			 Kent n/a 90 n/a 7 n/a 
			 Lancashire n/a 157 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Leicestershire n/a 150 n/a 16 n/a 
			 Lincolnshire n/a 0 n/a 3 n/a 
			 London, City of n/a 2 n/a 89 n/a 
			 Merseyside n/a 33 n/a 24 n/a 
			 Metropolitan Police n/a 139 n/a 225 n/a 
			 Norfolk n/a 2 n/a 8 n/a 
			 Northamptonshire n/a 0 n/a 5 n/a 
			 Northumbria n/a 78 n/a 16 n/a 
			 North Wales n/a 0 n/a 2 n/a 
			 North Yorkshire n/a 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 Nottinghamshire n/a 22 n/a 21 n/a 
			 South Wales n/a 1 n/a 14 n/a 
			 South Yorkshire n/a 0 n/a 12 n/a 
			 Staffordshire n/a 103 n/a 10 n/a 
			 Suffolk n/a 19 n/a 3 n/a 
			 Surrey n/a 80 n/a 4 n/a 
			 Sussex n/a 58 n/a 16 n/a 
			 Thames Valley n/a 0 n/a 13 n/a 
			 Warwickshire n/a 0 n/a 9 n/a 
			 West Mercia n/a 3 n/a 9 n/a 
			 West Midlands n/a 0 n/a 42 n/a 
			 West Yorkshire n/a 226 n/a 32 n/a 
			 Wiltshire n/a 5 n/a 4 n/a 
			 (1) Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for individual chief constables. (2) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (3) Under the Freedom of Information Act 2005, Home Office have to provide members of the public with this data when requested. However under section (31), Law Enforcement, of the Freedom of Information Act, information can be withheld where disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice (a) the prevention or detection of crime. Following consultation with ACPO, those categories that have been highlighted were deemed likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime and therefore have not been disclosed within the public domain.

Police: Motorways

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents to which police traffic officers responded there were on the motorway network in England in the last 12 months.

Nick Herbert: The information is not collected centrally.

Police: Pay

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average salary was for police officers in  (a) England,  (b) Leeds,  (c) Manchester and  (d) the Metropolitan Police District in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not collect data from police forces on the pay of individual police officers, and does not hold information on average salary for police officers in England, Leeds, Manchester and the Metropolitan police.

Police: Training

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training police receive on responding to a report from a prison than an offender about to be released has made threats to a partner or ex-partner.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 27 July 2010
	Training courses from the Initial Learning Programme onwards make clear the responsibility of police officers to inform a person if it is suspected he or she is in danger or at immediate risk and to act accordingly.
	This has led to the development of a policy for police forces in England and Wales that is referred to as the "Osman Warning". If the police receive intelligence that dictates that there is a real and immediate risk to the life, they will tell that person and the police are then expected to take reasonable measures to avoid that risk.
	The National Intelligence Model (NIM) is an intelligence-led process which promotes a cooperative response to policing, it is embedded within the Initial Learning Programme for police officers. When information about a threat is received, it will be assessed in accordance with the NIM framework.

Safer Neighbourhood Teams: Finance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will allocate funding to ensure that safer neighbourhood teams are maintained in London.

Nick Herbert: The Government support neighbourhood policing and are committed to ensuring that all communities receive a high quality policing service that meets local priorities. Decisions about the number of safer neighbourhood teams in London and how they are deployed to each of the London boroughs is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Metropolitan Police Authority.
	We have allocated £101.9 million in specific grant to the Metropolitan Police Service in 2010-11 for Neighbourhood Policing. The future funding settlement for the police will be determined by the spending review which will not be known until October this year.

Special Constables

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there were in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The latest published figures show that the special constable head count strength as at 31 March 2010 was 184 in North Yorkshire and 15,505 in England and Wales.
	These and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much her Department has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate she has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by her Department for use by trade unions in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many paid manpower hours civil servants in her Department spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many civil servants in her Department spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department does not provide any direct funding to trade unions.
	As part of the fulfilment of our legal responsibilities towards our trade union representatives we provide reasonable facility time and access to office space and equipment. We are unable to provide an estimate of the total value of these for the current year as this information is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Home Office headquarters employs approximately 3,000 staff and has 7.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff working full-time on trade union duties, assisted by 1.5 FTE staff providing administrative support. Almost all of these representatives and administrators also provide representation and support to around 23,000 staff working in the UK Border Agency.
	There are a further 11 staff who undertake trade union duties on an ad hoc basis. These staff must seek prior authority from their line manager to undertake these duties. The Home Office provides clear guidance covering the circumstances in which staff who are acting as trade union representatives can claim facility time.
	As facility time is not recorded centrally, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the equivalent numbers of days spent on trade union activities and duties in the ranges requested.

UK Border Agency

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which locations the UK Border Agency operates visa application centres and visa sections overseas; and what the operational cost of these centres was over the last five years.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency has contracts with two suppliers, VFS Global and CSC, who operate visa application centres. In addition, the UK Border Agency operates visa sections, some of which are decision-making centres and some of which are enrolment centres. The locations of these visa application centres and visa sections are given in the following tables.
	As regards operational costs, these are available for 2008-09 and 2009-10, since the visa operation has been part of the UK Border Agency. The operational costs of the visa application centres and the visa sections, including some London-based staff costs, were as follows:
	FY 2008-09: £321.1 million
	FY 2009-10: £314.3 million.
	The commercial partner contracts, which are include in the above, cost £61.0 million in 2008-09 and £68.3 million in 2009-10.
	The commercial partners operate 101 visa application centres in 48 countries. These are:
	
		
			  Country  Visa application centre 
			 Algeria Algiers 
			 Bahrain Manama 
			 Bangladesh Dhaka 
			  Sylhet 
			 Brazil Brasilia 
			  Rio de Janeiro 
			  Sao Paulo 
			 Canada Edmonton 
			  Ottawa 
			  Toronto 
			  Vancouver 
			 China Beijing 
			  Chengdu 
			  Chongqing 
			  Fuzhou 
			  Guangzhou 
			  Hangzhou 
			  Jinan 
			  Nanjing 
			  Shanghai 
			  Shenyang 
			  Shenzhen 
			  Wuhan 
			 Egypt Alexandria 
			  Cairo 
			 Ethiopia Addis Ababa 
			 France Paris 
			 Germany Berlin 
			  Dusseldorf 
			  Munich 
			 Ghana Accra 
			 India New Delhi 
			  Jalandar 
			  Chandigarh 
			  Kolkata 
			 India Chennai 
			  Hyderabad 
			  Bangalore 
			  Cochin 
			  Mumbai South 
			  Mumbai North 
			  Ahmedabad 
			  Pune 
			 Italy Rome 
			 Indonesia Jakarta 
			 Jamaica Kingston 
			 Japan Osaka 
			  Tokyo 
			 Jordan Amman 
			 Kazakhstan Almaty 
			 Kenya Nairobi 
			 Kuwait Kuwait City 
			 Lebanon Beirut 
			 Libya Tripoli 
			 Malawi Lilongwe 
			 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 
			 Mozambique Maputo 
			 Namibia Windhoek 
			 Nepal Kathmandu 
			 Nigeria Abuja 
			  Lagos-Ikeja 
			  Lagos-VI 
			 Oman Muscat 
			 Pakistan Islamabad 
			  Karachi 
			  Lahore 
			  Mirpur 
			 Philippines Manila 
			 Qatar Doha 
			 Russia Yekaterinburg 
			  Moscow 
			  Novosibirsk 
			  Rostov 
			  St Petersburg 
			 Serbia Belgrade 
			 Singapore Singapore 
			 Saudi Arabia Jeddah 
			  Riyadh 
			  Al Khobar 
			 South Africa Cape Town 
			  Durban 
			  Johannesburg 
			  Port Elizabeth 
			  Pretoria 
			 South Korea Seoul 
			 Sri Lanka Colombo 
			 Switzerland Geneva 
			  Zurich 
			 Syria Damascus 
			 Taiwan Taipei 
			 Thailand Bangkok 
			 Turkey Ankara 
			  Bursa 
			  Gaziantep 
			  Istanbul 
			  Izmir 
			 UAE Abu Dhabi 
			  Dubai 
			 Uganda Kampala 
			 Ukraine Kiev 
			 Zimbabwe Harare 
		
	
	In total there are 144 UKBA visa sections as follows:
	
		
			  Country  Visa section 
			 Albania Tirana 
			 Algeria Algiers 
			 Angola Luanda 
			 Argentina Buenos Aires 
			 Armenia Yerevan 
			 Australia Canberra 
			  Brisbane 
			  Melbourne 
			  Perth 
			  Sydney 
			 Austria Vienna 
			 Azerbaijan Baku 
			 Bangladesh Dhaka 
			 Barbados Bridgetown 
			 Belarus Minsk 
			 Belgium Brussels 
			 Belize Belmopan 
			 Bolivia La Paz 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo 
			 Botswana Gaborone 
			 Brazil Rio De Janeiro 
			 Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan 
			 Bulgaria Sofia 
			 Burma Rangoon 
			 Cambodia Phnom Penh 
			 Cameroon Yaoundé 
			 Canada Ottawa 
			 Chile Santiago 
			 China Beijing 
			  Chongqing 
			  Hong Kong 
			 Colombia Bogota 
			 Congo (Democratic Republic of) Kinshasa 
			 Costa Rica San Jose 
			 Croatia Zagreb 
			 Cuba Havana 
			 Cyprus Nicosia 
			 Czech Republic Prague 
			 Denmark Copenhagen 
			 Dominican Santo Domingo 
			 Ecuador Quito 
			 Egypt Cairo 
			 Estonia Tallinn 
			 Ethiopia Addis Ababa 
			 Fiji Suva 
			 Finland Helsinki 
			 France Paris 
			 Gambia, The Banjul 
			 Georgia Tbilisi 
			 Germany Dusseldorf 
			  Berlin 
			 Ghana Accra 
			 Gibraltar Gibraltar 
			 Greece Athens 
			 Guatemala Guatemala City 
			 Guyana Georgetown 
			 Hungary Budapest 
			 Iceland Reykjavik 
			 India Chennai 
			  Mumbai 
			  New Delhi 
			 Indonesia Jakarta 
			 Iran Tehran 
			 Iraq Baghdad 
			  Erbil 
			 Irish Republic Dublin 
			 Israel Jerusalem 
			  Tel Aviv 
			 Italy Rome 
			 Jamaica Kingston 
			 Jordan Amman 
			 Kazakhstan Almaty 
			  Astana 
			 Kenya Nairobi 
			 Kosovo Pristina 
			 Kuwait Kuwait City 
			 Latvia Riga 
			 Lebanon Beirut 
			 Libya Tripoli 
			 Lithuania Vilnius 
			 Macedonia Skopje 
			 Madagascar Antananarivo 
			 Malawi Lilongwe 
			 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 
			 Malta Valletta 
			 Mauritius Port Louis 
			 Mexico Mexico City 
			 Moldova Chisinau 
			 Mongolia Ulaanbaatar 
			 Montenegro Podgorica 
			 Morocco Rabat 
			 Netherlands Amsterdam 
			 Nigeria Abuja 
			  Lagos 
			 North Korea Pyongyang 
			 Norway Oslo 
			 Oman Muscat 
			 Pakistan Islamabad 
			 Panama Panama City 
			 Papua New Port Moresby 
			 Peru Lima 
			 Philippines Manila 
			 Poland Warsaw 
			 Portugal Lisbon 
			 Qatar Doha 
			 Romania Bucharest 
			 Russian Moscow 
			 Rwanda Kigali 
			 Saudi Arabia Riyadh 
			 Senegal Dakar 
			 Serbia Belgrade 
			 Sierra Leone Freetown 
			 Singapore Singapore 
			 Slovakia Bratislava 
			 Slovenia Ljubljana 
			 South Africa Pretoria 
			 Spain Madrid 
			 Sri Lanka Colombo 
			 St Lucia Castries 
			 Sudan Khartoum 
			 Sweden Stockholm 
			 Switzerland Geneva 
			 Syria Damascus 
			 Tajikistan Dushanbe 
			 Tanzania Dar Es Salaam 
			 Thailand Bangkok 
			 Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain 
			 Tunisia Tunis 
			 Turkey Istanbul 
			  Ankara 
			 Turkmenistan Ashgabat 
			 Uganda Kampala 
			 Ukraine Kiev 
			 United Arab Abu Dhabi 
			 United States Chicago 
			  Los Angeles 
			  New York 
			 Uruguay Montevideo 
			 Uzbekistan Tashkent 
			 Venezuela Caracas 
			 Vietnam Hanoi 
			 Yemen Sanaa 
			 Zambia Lusaka 
			 Zimbabwe Harare

UK Border Agency: Manpower

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of the UK Border Agency are based at each office location  (a) in Scotland,  (b) in each of the English regions,  (c) in Wales,  (d) in Northern Ireland and  (e) overseas; and what the functions are of each office.

Damian Green: The regional breakdown of United Kingdom Border Agency workforce as at 30 June 2010 is set out in the tables placed in the House Library.

UK Border Agency: Publicity

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency spent on points of entry campaigns explaining UK immigration and asylum policy in each of the last five years; and what plans the Government has for future such campaigns.

Damian Green: Since 2005, UK Border Agency has spent £1,644 on communications at the border explaining asylum policy. These communications are in the form of posters at all ports informing people that they must claim asylum at the first port of entry. We have also spent £598.25 on posters explaining that passengers must have valid travel documents for themselves and any dependent children otherwise they face prosecution as set out in the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004. No other money has been spent on campaigns to explain UK immigration and asylum policy at UK points of entry over the last five years.
	In the current financial climate much of the work of the UK Border Agency, including all communications work, is under review. However, we are likely to continue to need this information at ports as it provides important legal information for those wanting to claim asylum.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Atos Healthcare

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value is of his Department's contract with Atos Healthcare; and when the contract will next be reviewed.

Maria Miller: The Department for Work and Pensions re-awarded Atos Origin IT Services Ltd., trading as Atos Healthcare, a new contract to perform medical services on behalf of the Department from 1 September 2005. The total cost of these services amounts to approximately £100 million per annum. This figure not only covers the total number of examinations undertaken across all benefits, but also costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements. The contract covered a seven year period with an option to extend for a further five years and is therefore currently under review.

Atos Healthcare

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether  (a) any disciplinary action has been pursued and  (b) any complaints have been received and investigated by his Department in respect of Atos Healthcare in the last two years.

Chris Grayling: Following completion of investigations, if appropriate, a range of actions can be taken including remedial action which may involve re-training or removal from the list of approved health care professionals and employment terminated. Depending upon the findings of the investigation the General Medical Council may also be informed. A statistical breakdown is not available.
	The Department as a whole does not keep statistics on the number of complaints made about Atos Healthcare, however Atos Healthcare themselves have received 7,476 complaints over the last two years. For the last quarter ending May 2010 the total complaints, which includes complaints relating to accommodation, staff and operational processes compared with the number of medical assessments completed, was 0.57%.

Atos Healthcare

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on any bonuses or incentives paid by Atos Healthcare to staff undertaking incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance medical assessments.

Chris Grayling: The role of the health care professional is to provide an independent, impartial assessment of the effects of a customer's illness or disability on their everyday lives. Neither Atos Healthcare nor their health care professionals receive any kind of bonuses or financial incentive in relation to the outcome of benefit claims.

Atos Healthcare

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to review the terms of the Medical Services Contract with Atos Healthcare in relation to the trial of reassessments for incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance medical entitlements.

Chris Grayling: The Department is currently negotiating the terms of the services to reassess incapacity benefit recipients.

Children: Grants

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse was of the childcare grant in each of the last three years; and what the highest payment made to an individual in one year was in that period.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply.
	The Childcare Grant is available to full-time, higher education students with dependent children in registered or approved child care.
	For academic year 2009-10, the grant covers 85% of actual child care costs-both in term times and vacations-up to a maximum of £148.75 per week for one child and up to £255 per week for two or more children.
	The following table shows the total cost of approved applications for Childcare Grant in the last three years for which figures are available. The Department does not release data at an individual level.
	
		
			  Childcare Grant, England 
			  Academic year  £ million( 1) 
			 2006-07 28 
			 2007-08 32 
			 2008-09 38 
			 (1) Rounded to nearest £ million.

Children: Maintenance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in respect of how many and what proportion of referrals from Jobcentre Plus by the Child Maintenance Options Service the Service was able to make successful contact with the parents referred in each week of the most recent quarter for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in respect of how many and what proportion of referrals from Jobcentre Plus by the Child Maintenance Options Service the Service was able to make successful contact with the parents referred in each week of the most recent quarter for which figures are available.
	The table below shows the number of Jobcentre Plus referrals successfully contacted by Child Maintenance Options by telephone for the second quarter of 2010 (covering the period 5 April to 4 July) and the proportion of total referrals this number represents.
	
		
			   Jobcentre Plus successful contact 
			  Week ending  Number  Percent 
			 11 April 2010 1,547 61 
			 18 April 2010 1,935 68 
			 25 April 2010 2,099 71 
			 2 May 2010 1,788 53 
			 9 May 2010 1,789 68 
			 16 May 2010 2,113 70 
			 23 May 2010 2,091 74 
			 30 May 2010 1,643 57 
			 6 June 2010 1,953 80 
			 13 June 2010 2,367 82 
			 20 June 2010 2,473 81 
			 27 June 2010 2,267 76 
			 4 July 2010 2,433 77 
		
	
	The telephone contacts that the Child Maintenance Options Service successfully makes are a result of multiple attempts to reach the parents that have been referred by Jobcentre Plus. Where it has not been possible to make contact with parents by telephone, they are sent a letter and encouraged to contact the service themselves. The above figures reflect overall successful contact, both outbound and inbound.

Children: Maintenance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many referrals the Child Maintenance Options Service made to its face-to-face service in the most recent quarter for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many referrals the Child Maintenance Options Service made to its face-to-face service in the most recent quarter for which figures are available.
	The table below shows the number of referrals to the face-to-face service made by Child Maintenance Options for the second quarter of 2010 (covering the period 5 April to 4 July).
	
		
			  Week ending  Face-to-face referrals 
			 11 April 2010 107 
			 18 April 2010 161 
			 25 April 2010 178 
			 2 May 2010 121 
			 9 May 2010 112 
			 16 May 2010 168 
			 23 May 2010 156 
			 30 May 2010 128 
			 6 June 2010 71 
			 13 June 2010 85 
			 20 June 2010 79 
			 27 June 2010 112 
			 4 July 2010 92 
		
	
	It should be noted that, during the period of time represented in the table above, the Child Maintenance Options service was running service development pilots which included exploring utilisation of the face-to-face service. These pilots continue and findings are due in the autumn to inform future face-to-face service delivery.

Children: Maintenance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many referrals the Child Maintenance Options Service received each week from Jobcentre Plus in the last quarter for which figures are available; and what proportion of new benefit claimants entitled to seek child maintenance this figure represents.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many referrals the Child Maintenance Options Service received each week from Jobcentre Plus in the last quarter for which figures are available; and what proportion of new benefit claimants entitled to seek child maintenance this figure represents.
	The table below shows the total number of Jobcentre Plus referrals to Child Maintenance Options for the second quarter of 2010 (covering the period 5 April to 4 July) and the proportion of new benefit claimants entitled to seek child maintenance that this number represents.
	
		
			  Week ending  Jobcentre Plus referrals  Proportion of new benefit claimants entitled to seek child maintenance (percentage) 
			  2010   
			 11 April 2,716 46 
			 18 April 3,082 44 
			 25 April 3,140 44 
			 2 May 3,599 45 
			 9 May 2,880 47 
			 16 May 3,223 45 
			 23 May 2,968 45 
			 30 May 3,071 44 
			 6 June 2,734 44 
			 13 June 3,188 44 
			 20 June 3,326 45 
			 27 June 3,332 46 
			 4 July 3,525 44 
			  Notes: 1. Total may include those making a rapid reclaim and those where the client's partner accepted a referral. 2. Figures on clients with a child maintenance interest provided by Jobcentre Plus. 
		
	
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Poverty

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of children living in relative poverty in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	Figures for 1997-98 cover Great Britain only, as data for Northern Ireland did not become available until the following year. The latest available data cover 2008-09.
	
		
			  Number of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income, before housing costs 
			   Number of children in relative low-income (million) 
			 1997-98 (GB) 3.4 
			 1998-99 (UK) 3.4 
			 1999-2000 (UK) 3.4 
			 2000-01 (UK) 3.1 
			 2001-02 (UK) 3.0 
			 2002-03 (UK) 2.9 
			 2003-04 (UK) 2.9 
			 2004-05 (UK) 2.7 
			 2005-06 (UK) 2.8 
			 2006-07 (UK) 2.9 
			 2007-08 (UK) 2.9 
			 2008-09 (UK) 2.8 
			  Notes 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors. 6. Numbers of adults and children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000. 7. These statistics are based on incomes Before Housing Costs. 8. Figures for 1997-98 cover Great Britain only. Figures from 1998-99 onwards are for UK.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP

Children: St Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in workless households in St Albans constituency in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2010.

Maria Miller: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) In 2004, there were estimated to be 1,100 children living in workless households in St Albans. This figure has been rounded to the nearest 100.
	 (b) In 2008, no estimate is possible due to sample size issues.
	 (c) The latest available wave for the Household Annual Population Survey is 2008 so no estimate is available for 2010.
	The estimate is based on the Household Annual Population Survey (HAPS). It is important to note that, as with any sample survey, estimates from the HAPS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. At the constituency level the group in question is very specific and the estimate is based on very small sample sizes. Therefore, the margin of uncertainty is very large for this estimate and the figure is deemed unreliable and would not be used by the Department for Work and Pensions for practical purposes.
	Prior to 2010 the parliamentary constituency boundaries were different. The information given reflects the population in the current boundaries as closely as possible.

Departmental Billing

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of payments made by his Department to  (a) small and medium-sized enterprise suppliers and  (b) all suppliers were made (i) within 10 days of receipt of invoice and (ii) on the agreed payment terms in the last three months for which information is available.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions became a signatory to the Prompt Payment Code in March 2009 and set a target to pay 90% of correct invoices within 10 days of receipt. This target applies to all invoices paid by the Department and its agencies which are covered by a single finance system. The target has been met consistently since the signing of the Code. Separate figures for small and medium sized enterprises are not collected and to provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	The percentage of all supplier payments made within 10 days of receipt of an invoice for the last three months are:
	
		
			  Month  Percentage 
			 April 95 
			 May 97 
			 June 98 
		
	
	The percentage of payments made by the Department within our agreed payment terms of 30 days for the last three months are:
	
		
			  Month  Percentage 
			 April 98 
			 May 99 
			 June 99

Departmental Buildings

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Chris Grayling: DWP has not sold any buildings or land since May 2005.
	Prior to the formation of DWP in 2001, the former Department of Social Security outsourced its estate in 1998 via a private finance initiative (PFI) contract known as PRIME. The estate was sold (freehold, feuhold and long leasehold interests) or transferred (short leasehold interests) to Telereal Trillium.
	The proceeds were released to HM Treasury in April 1998 for the original Department of Social Security estate and further in December 2003 when PRIME was expanded to include the former Employment Service estate following the creation of DWP.
	 (A)  Non-departmental public bodies
	(i) Health and Safety Executive-The chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive has replied separately;
	(ii) The Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission estate is within the PRIME contract. The Commission has not sold any buildings or land.
	 (B) Agencies
	None of the DWP agencies sold any buildings or land.

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much office space per employee his Department and its predecessor occupied in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: DWP was created in June 2001 with the merger of the former Department of Social Security (DSS) and the former Employment Service (ES). The Department no longer has records of DSS or ES staffing from 1997 to 2001 nor does the Department have information on the size of the former Employment Service space prior to 2003 when their estate was included in DWP's Private Finance Initiative.
	The space per employee occupied in each year since 2003-04 was:
	
		
			   Office space per employee (m( 2) ) 
			 2009-10 13.4 
			 2008-09 15.5 
			 2007-08 16.4 
			 2006-07 16.5 
			 2005-06 17.5 
			 2004-05 18.0 
			 2003-04 17.3 
		
	
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a NDPB of the Department and manages its estate independently of DWP-their office space per employee occupied in each year since 2003-04 was:
	
		
			   Office space per employee (m( 2) ) 
			 2009-10 15.72 
			 2008-09 21.39 
			 2007-08 21.50 
			 2006-07 21.86 
			 2005-06 19.57 
			 2004-05 20.21 
			 2003-04 20.90 
		
	
	The staffing and estate information sought for HSE is not available prior to 2003-04.

Departmental Communication

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that official communications from his Department can be accessed by people who do not have access to the internet, with particular reference to elderly people who do not have such access.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions presently communicates with customers by post, telephone, in person and increasingly via the internet. We provide official information in a range of formats, for example large print and Braille, so that elderly customers and those with specific accessibility needs are not disadvantaged. We also use specially trained telephony agents to communicate with deaf or hearing impaired customers who contact us using a text phone. Our literature is widely available in a range of public access areas (e.g. doctors' surgeries).
	We are always seeking to improve accessibility of official communications. For example, our regular customer surveys ask how customers would prefer to be contacted and we are currently running a project that will help to improve the quality of our letters. In addition the design of the new state pension on-line service, which went live in March this year, was extensively tested with customers to ensure it meets the needs of older people. An enhanced version of the service is due to go live later this year.
	We plan to signpost our customers to the benefits of internet use and to sources of help or support to get online. We recognise, however, that elderly people in particular make less use of the internet, so we will ensure that our plans do not introduce inequality and disadvantage.

Departmental Empty Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its predecessor spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: DWP has not carried any cost for vacant properties since 1998 when the estate was outsourced under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) known as PRIME.
	The Department no longer has any records for the former Department of Social Security space prior to 1998 and the start of the PRIME Contract nor for the former Employment Service prior to 2003 when PRIME was expanded to cover their estate.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a Non Departmental Public Body of the Department and manages their property separately to the PRIME PFI. HSE spent the following on vacant properties in each year since 2004. The information sought is not available prior to 2003-04.
	
		
			   Cost of vacant properties (£) 
			 2009-10 17,000 
			 2008-09 838,000 
			 2007-08 680,000 
			 2006-07 959,000 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2004-05 0 
		
	
	The expenditure on vacant buildings from 2006-07 arose as part of a programme to reduce the buildings HSE occupied from six to one and thereafter move its London HQ to Bootle.

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many chairs his Department and its predecessor purchased in each year since 1997; how much was spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Chris Grayling: Information prior to 2007 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of chairs purchased on behalf of the Department and the related cost are provided in the following table together with a breakdown of the five most expensive chairs purchased for each of those years.
	
		
			   Number of chairs  £ 
			 2007 9,209 1,036,159 
			 2008 4,741 619,685 
			 2009 5,611 773,970 
			 2010 (to date) 3,821 575,201 
		
	
	
		
			   Five most expensive individual chairs purchased  £ 
			 2007 EMOVE2-65 Motorised Office Chair 65 6,299 
			  BodyBilt Chair-BodyBilt J2504/A/SS/4Arm/JCP Blue 1,565 
			  BodyBilt Specialist Chair-BodyBilt J2504/A/SS/4Arm/G1 Liberty Blue 1,456 
			  RH4-2004/84010/S7/S15-2004 RH LOGIC 4 with L/S and neck rest 1,209 
			  OP26XALS4 OP26 Arm Chair AMP10 LS4 Wide Long Back 1,082 
			
			 2008 INVACARE PRONTO electric wheelchair 4,156 
			  B2503/Back Rest/A/SFB/NB Back Post/Special Chair 2,258 
			  BodyBilt Specialist Chair-BodyBilt J2504/A/SS/4Arm/G1 Liberty Blue 1,661 
			  J2504/A/SS/4 ARM/G1 fabric 1,565 
			  OP26B OPERA 26 backrest. backrest for OP26 model 1,410 
			
			 2009 RH LOGIC 4 + 2 seat COMP GAJA navy, 8S rotation adjustable A 1,466 
			  Total Double Seater leather, silver base 1,323 
			  OPERA 26 chair 1,076 
			  Total single seater Leather silver base 966 
			  OP30-5 OPERA 30-5 Chair. Medium back-medium seat 868 
			
			 2010 NOUFEL-OP30-6 chair long back medium seat. Rocking action. 1,322 
			  OP26WA OPERA 26 arm chair. AMP10 wide long back 1,148 
			  OP26ALS4 OPERA 26 armchair 805 
			  Two Seater Tub Chair 546 
			  Chair Long back with 3D headrest, Inflatable lumbar support 529 
		
	
	The Department entered into a 20-year PFI contract in 1998 for the provision of fully fitted and serviced accommodation for which the Department pays an all inclusive unitary charge. Furniture is one of the services provided but the cost of it cannot be disaggregated from the unitary charge. The information provided here relates solely to chairs which were procured separately (not within the contract price) for large projects. The majority of the five most expensive chairs are specialist items and have been provided for disabled staff.

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value was of each such contract.

Chris Grayling: There has been only one IT contract abandoned by the Department in the last five years. This was the Contact Management services order with IBM, which was valued at £6,189,131.

Departmental Internet

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on search engine biasing with (i) Google and (ii) other search engines in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: Over the last five years the Department has spent the following on search engine biasing:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 5,100 
			 2007-08 2,500 
			 2008-09 176,000 
			 2009-10 956,000 
		
	
	These figures represent the total cost of DWP search engine biasing work which includes spend on 'pay per click' and 'paid for' search terms. Search engine optimisation is carried out by the Department's own in-house communication teams.
	Individual figures are not available for Google and other search engine providers. It would be at a disproportionate cost to extract these individual costs.
	Search engine biasing costs are not available for DWP Agencies. We are working with Cabinet Office to implement a standardised method for quantifying website costs across the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies. This is in response to a Public Accounts Committee recommendation. These costs will be available from April 2011 onwards.
	The current cross-Government policy of freezing all paid for marketing and advertising has suspended spend on this type of paid for search term until further notice.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: The following table shows the cost of rent for DWP, including its non-departmental public bodies and arm's length bodies, properties in  (a) total,  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK, and  (c) London in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Rent 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  (a) DWP national rent costs 229,183,337 228,761,294 220,398,213 215,611,016 210,419,226 
			   
			  Government office region  
			  (b)(i) Region  
			 East Midlands 8,172,335 8,361,591 8,421,809 8,186,052 7,770,228 
			 East of England 11,285,078 10,365,319 10,101,697 9,679,317 9,490,110 
			 London 39,213,807 40,276,009 36,525,383 41,662,393 37,082,253 
			 North East 23,276,978 23,246,854 23,480,728 20,795,824 20,461,040 
			 North West 37,801,976 37,233,411 36,759,318 34,772,735 34,507,488 
			 Scotland 29,754,108 29,480,829 26,460,781 27,248,223 27,143,582 
			 South East 19,042,850 19,644,356 19,405,568 17,665,434 17,401,089 
			 South West 12,146,663 11,810,823 12,444,365 10,419,693 10,338,474 
			 Wales 9,415,365 9,482,323 8,875,533 8,905,498 9,016,265 
			 West Midlands 16,522,568 16,268,689 15,342,093 14,623,087 14,811,537 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 22,551,609 22,591,090 22,580,936 21,652,761 22,397,161 
			   
			  (b) (ii) Nation  
			 England (inc. London) 190,013,863 189,798,141 185,061,899 179,457,296 174,259,379 
			 Scotland 29,754,108 29,480,829 26,460,781 27,248,223 27,143,582 
			 Wales 9,415,365 9,482,323 8,875,533 8,905,498 9,016,265 
			   
			  (c) London 39,213,807 40,276,009 36,525,383 41,662,393 37,082,253

Disability Living Allowance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the effects of changed arrangements for testing for eligibility for disability living allowance on the health of long-term sick and disabled people.

Maria Miller: The Budget announced that we would be introducing a new, objective assessment for disability living allowance from 2013-14 to ensure support is targeted at those in need. The impact will depend on the detailed design.
	We recognise that customers find the existing self-reporting forms complex so as we develop our proposals, we will talk to disabled people and a broad range of organisations to consider how our reforms could simplify the process for customers.

Disability Living Allowance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of disability living allowance would be if it had been uprated according to the consumer price index since its introduction in 1992.

Maria Miller: The Chancellor announced in the emergency Budget that from 2011 the consumer price index (CPI) will be used to measure the growth in prices for the purposes of uprating all benefits, including disability living allowance.
	The CPI is the Government's headline inflation measure and the most stable price index. The RPI was negative at -1.4% when the 2010 uprating level was set, whereas the CPI stayed positive at 1.1%.
	Under the previous Government's plan, last year's increase to disability living allowance was set to be clawed back in 2011. This would have meant, on current projections, a lower increase in disability living allowance than under this Government's plans. In keeping with their commitment to protect people in the most vulnerable situations, this Government will not be taking back the 1.5% 'advance' that was applied to disability living allowance in April 2010.

Disability Living Allowance: Autism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the  (a) rate of uptake and  (b) monetary value of unclaimed disability living allowance in respect of (i) children and (ii) adults with autism in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the rate of take-up and amount of unclaimed disability living allowance are not available. This is because eligibility is not established until entitlement is tested at the point of claim and because assessment of eligibility is more complex than for other benefit, involving a detailed judgment of personal care and mobility needs.

Disability Living Allowance: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Leeds North West constituency are in receipt of  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) incapacity benefit.

Maria Miller: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, and disability living allowance: November 2009 
			  Parliamentary constituency  IB/SDA  DLA 
			 Leeds North West 1,830 2,700 
			  Notes: 1. Incapacity benefit was replaced by Employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, some additional disclosure has been applied. 3. Caseload for DLA show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 4. IB/SDA 'claimants' include people in receipt of benefit and also those who fail the contributions conditions but receive a national insurance credit, i.e. 'credit only cases'. 5. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009.

Disability: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the adequacy of assistance offered to single parents of disabled children who are returning to work.

Maria Miller: Those with disabled children have particular requirements around childcare, personal support, and access to flexible working. We are taking account of these in drawing up our plans for the Work Programme, which will offer all benefit recipients targeted, personalised help, delivered by contractors drawn from the private, public and voluntary sectors, as well as social enterprises.
	For lone parents who are looking for work and have caring responsibilities for a disabled child, further support is offered under the provisions of the Childcare Act 2006. Among other things, this gives local authorities in England and Wales a statutory responsibility to ensure the local child care market meets the needs of working parents, including those with disabled children, and ensures that parents of disabled children have access to reliable information on child care options.
	In recognition of the difficulties lone parents caring for disabled children may encounter in returning to work, regulations provide that lone parents on income support with a child aged 15 or under who have a child receiving the middle or higher care component of disability living allowance are not required to seek work in return for benefit. However, for those lone parents who wish to return to work, pre-employment and in-work support are available through specialist lone parent advisers in Jobcentre Plus.

Employment: New Deal Schemes

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been assisted to find work through the New Deal since it was introduced.

Chris Grayling: The available information can be found in the following table.
	The number of individuals finding a job through the new deal programme and the number of leavers to employment by type of new deal.
	
		
			   Type of job gained 
			   Number of jobs-total  Leavers to employment-total  Leavers to employment (no benefits)  Leavers to employment and benefits 
			 New deal for young people 935,630 638,270 600,230 38,040 
			 New deal 25 plus 378,310 203,380 189,090 14,290 
			 New deal for lone parents 662,800 538,130 458,720 79,410 
			 New deal for disabled people 215,800 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 New deal 50 plus 99,580 (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 New deal for partners 6,690 2,260 1,350 910 
			 (1) Denotes information not available.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Information is only given for the most recent spell on new deal. 3. Number of jobs-total includes jobs gained during the participants' time on new deal as part of the new deal employment option. These people would not necessarily leave to employment. 4. Leavers to employment consist only of those people who left the new deal and went into employment. Destination is measured as destination within two weeks of leaving new deal, using information from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 5. Leavers to employment-total includes those who left to employment but are also in receipt of a benefit, for example, disability living allowance. 6. Information is not available on leavers from new deal 50 plus or new deal for disabled people. 7. Latest data are to November 2009. 8. Data on new deal for disabled people are from July 2001 (the programme started in 1999); new deal 50 plus data are from January 2004 (programme started in April 2000) and new deal for partners data are available from April 2004 (programme started in May 1999). Information on new deal for young people, new deal 25 plus and new deal for lone parents is available since inception. New deal for young people data are available from January 1998 (new deal for young people pilots began in January 1998 and full national roll-out occurred in April 1998); New deal for 25 plus data are available from July 1998; new deal for lone parents data are available from October 1998. 9. The latest new deal figures will be affected by the introduction of the new jobseeker's regime and flexible new deal (gradual implementation started from April 2009). More information is readily available on the employment programme statistics website at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/FND_tabtool_information.pdf.

Guide Dogs: Public Buildings

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which commercial premises refuse access to guide dogs; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: No specific assessment has been made, but the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires service providers not to discriminate against disabled people in the provision of their services, and to make reasonable adjustments where it would otherwise be impossible or unreasonably difficult for a disabled person to access the services being provided. A reasonable adjustment can include relaxing a ban on animals entering premises so that a guide dog user may access the services. The failure of a service provider to make a reasonable adjustment is a form of discrimination. If a disabled person considers that they have been discriminated against by a service provider, the Act provides for the person to be able to take enforcement action.

Housing Benefit

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households are currently in receipt of housing benefit of more than £100,000 a year; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
	We cannot estimate annual expenditure for individual housing benefit recipients. However, we can look at customers' weekly housing benefit awards and identify those who received a maximum local housing allowance rate.
	At March 2010 there were fewer than 100 customers who received the maximum local housing allowance rate. All these customers are located in the central London broad rental market area.
	In June 2010 the maximum local housing allowance rate rose to £2,000 a week which would be equivalent to receiving £104,000 a year in housing benefit assuming the individual remains in receipt of the same level of benefit for 52 continuous weeks. Information on housing benefit awards in June will be available in September 2010.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the additional expenditure on housing benefit consequent upon annual increases in social housing rents in each year since 1990.

Steve Webb: The information is not all available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables.
	
		
			  Social sector housing benefit expenditure and estimated amounts due to increases in rents since 1992-93, in cash terms 
			  £million 
			   Total social sector housing benefit expenditure  Estimated amount due to rise in social sector rents 
			 1992-93 5,200 - 
			 1993-94 6,000 600 
			 1994-95 6,500 1,100 
			 1995-96 7,100 1,600 
			 1996-97 7,600 2,100 
			 1997-98 7,700 2,500 
			 1998-99 7,900 2,800 
			 1999-2000 8,100 3,200 
			 2000-01 8,300 3,600 
			 2001-02 8,800 4,200 
			 2002-03 9,600 5,000 
			 2003-04 9,300 4,800 
			 2004-05 9,800 5,400 
			 2005-06 10,200 6,000 
			 2006-07 10,600 6,600 
			 2007-08 11,000 7,100 
			 2008-09 11,500 7,700 
			 2009-10 12,400 8,400 
		
	
	
		
			  Social sector housing benefit expenditure and estimated amounts due to increases in rents since 1992-93, in real terms 
			  £million (2010-11 prices) 
			   Total social sector housing benefit expenditure  Estimated amount due to real terms rise in social sector rents 
			 1992-93 8,200 - 
			 1993-94 9,100 600 
			 1994-95 9,800 1,200 
			 1995-96 10,300 1,700 
			 1996-97 10,600 1,900 
			 1997-98 10,600 2,200 
			 1998-99 10,500 2,400 
			 1999-2000 10,600 2,700 
			 2000-01 10,800 3,100 
			 2001-02 11,100 3,500 
			 2002-03 11,800 4,100 
			 2003-04 11,100 3,500 
			 2004-05 11,400 3,900 
			 2005-06 11,600 4,300 
			 2006-07 11,700 4,600 
			 2007-08 11,900 4,900 
			 2008-09 12,000 5,200 
			 2009-10 12,800 5,600 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest £100 million.  2. Social sector housing benefit includes local authority and registered social landlord tenancies.  3. Prior to April 2003, the rent taken into account for housing benefit purposes included some charges for care and support services. The removal of these charges caused a reduction in social sector housing benefit expenditure in 2003-04.  4. Real terms figures are in 2010-11 prices, derived using the Budget 2010 GDP deflator.  5. Estimates of the impact of rent increases are based on the assumption that all of the change in average rent levels recorded for housing benefit recipients can be attributed to change in the rents set by social sector landlords. In reality some of the change will be due to other factors, for example changes in the geographical composition of the caseload, but this should not have a significant impact on the estimates for individual years.  Source:  Housing benefit statistical and financial data.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of housing benefit claims in each local authority area were subject to one or more deductions for non-dependants in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the average deduction was in each case;
	(2)  how many housing benefit claims in each local authority area were subject to one or more non-dependant deductions in  (a) the private sector and  (b) social housing in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the average deduction was in each case.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.

Housing Benefit: Jobseeker's Allowance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has been made of the likely average deduction in housing benefit for jobseeker's allowance claimants who have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for 12 months in each region, consequent upon the proposals in the June 2010 Budget.

Steve Webb: We are developing the detailed policy design for the measure announced in the June 2010 Budget to reduce housing benefit by 10% after 12 months for those customers who are also in receipt of jobseekers allowance. We shall publish impact assessments to accompany the relevant legislation when introduced in Parliament and are investigating the scope for publishing sooner.

Housing Benefit: Leeds

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in  (a) Leeds West constituency and  (b) Leeds who would be affected by implementation of his proposed changes to housing benefit; and whether he has made an estimate of the average change in housing benefit payments to such people under his Department's proposals.

Steve Webb: The Department published 'Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12' on 23 July, which includes analysis of the impacts for each local authority area. Copies of the document are available in the Library.
	The information is not available at the constituency level.

Housing Benefit: Payments

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to make changes to the criteria according to which housing benefit is paid either to claimants or to landlords.

Steve Webb: A review of the first two years' operation of the local housing allowance arrangements is being undertaken to monitor the impact of the local housing allowance at a national level. The review aims to cover a range of issues including direct payment to tenants and will report later in the year.

Housing: Older People

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the contribution of the Secretary of State of 28 June 2010,  Official Report, column 608, what steps he plans to take to ensure that elderly people occupy homes of the size they need.

Steve Webb: Housing benefit for those customers living in the private sector is already set within the local housing allowance by the area and size of accommodation needed by the household. Anyone living in accommodation that is too large will receive benefit only to the level appropriate for the size of their household.
	Within the social rented sector we have announced that we will restrict housing benefit for working age tenants who live in a property that is too large for their needs. It is too early to say how this change, which will come into effect in 2013, might be designed, but my Department will be working with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the devolved Administrations to identify a range of options. We will consult as we develop the proposals and during the legislative process.

Incapacity Benefit

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of people resident in Moray constituency whose  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) incapacity benefit will be reduced in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency whose  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) incapacity benefit will be reduced in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what the average level of reduction is expected to be in each such case.

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in Angus constituency whose  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) incapacity benefit will be reduced in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what the average level of reduction is expected to be in each such case.

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in Dundee East constituency whose  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) incapacity benefit will be reduced in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what the average level of reduction is expected to be in each such case.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in Perth and North Perthshire constituency whose  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) incapacity benefit will be reduced in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what the average level of reduction is expected to be in each such case.

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in Banff and Buchan constituency whose  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) incapacity benefit will be reduced in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what the average level of reduction is expected to be in each such case.

Maria Miller: The June Budget announced that social security benefits, including disability living allowance and incapacity benefit, would rise in line with the consumer prices index from April 2011 onwards. Under the previous Administration's plans, last year's increase to disability living allowance was set to be clawed back, which would have meant a 1.5% reduction in the value of the awards. This Government will not implement this clawback.
	The Budget also announced that we would be introducing a new, objective assessment for disability living allowance from 2013 to ensure support is targeted at those with in need. The impact will depend on the detailed design.
	The old incapacity benefit system is coming to an end. Employment and support allowance (ESA) was introduced on 27 October 2008 which replaced a range of incapacity benefits with immediate effect for customers making a new claim for financial support on the grounds of illness or incapacity. The reassessment of 1.5 million incapacity benefits customers will start in October 2010. The full reassessment programme will begin in spring 2011 and is expected to take three years to complete. No one migrating from their existing benefit to ESA will see a reduction in the level of their benefit entitlement at the point of change.

Incapacity Benefit: Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons northern Scotland was chosen for the trial reform of incapacity benefit.

Chris Grayling: The project has selected two locations for the trial, Burnley and Aberdeen.
	Incapacity benefit customers within these locations are considered representative of the overall incapacity benefit caseload. The trial approach involving these locations will enable data to be compared across a broad cross section of customers so that we can gain an early insight into the experience of customers undergoing the incapacity benefit migration process and customer journey.

Incapacity Benefit: Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with the  (a) Scottish Executive,  (b) local authorities,  (c) local health trusts and  (d) disabled rights groups in northern Scotland on the planned trial reform of incapacity benefits.

Chris Grayling: Copies of a detailed information and briefing pack about planned changes affecting customers currently receiving incapacity benefits were issued to the Scottish Executive for Members of the Scottish Parliament on 7 July.
	Jobcentre Plus officials have had discussions with the Scottish Executive's Social Inclusion and Employability Policy teams following the ministerial announcement on 29 June to update them on migration plans and advise of proposed communications activity.
	Jobcentre Plus officials have already met with 13 customer representative groups on this issue. Discussion took place on the 29 July at the Aberdeen Works Forum, chaired by Jobcentre Plus with representatives from: NHS; Skills Development Scotland; Aberdeen College; Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations; Aberdeen Civic Forum; Aberdeenshire council and Aberdeen city council. Additional discussions have also taken place with Condition Management Programme Grampian NHS; Employment and Inequalities Co-ordinator Aberdeenshire council; Peterhead Project; Lifeskills; Aberdeen Foyer and Lead Scotland.

Independent Living Fund

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the withdrawal of the Independent Living Fund on the most disabled persons in the UK.

Maria Miller: The Independent Living Fund continues to support 21,000 existing users, although it is currently closed to new applicants. The Independent Living Fund undertook a full equality impact assessment before the decision to close the fund to new applicants was announced on 17 June.
	The statutory authority for assessing and delivering essential care remains with local authorities. The coalition Government are committed to ensuring severely disabled people receive the support they need.

Independent Living Fund: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on the effects on Northern Ireland of the closure of the Independent Living Fund to new applicants.

Maria Miller: The Office of the First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly was advised of the decision by the Independent Living Fund to close the fund to new applicants in advance of the announcement on 17 June.

Industrial Health and Safety

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many allegations of breaches of health and safety legislation were received by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in each of the last five years; and how many such breaches were confirmed by the HSE in each of those years.

Chris Grayling: Allegations of breaches of health and safety legislation are usually reported to HSE as complaints.
	HSE holds records on the numbers of complaints it receives and on the number which subsequently result in formal enforcement. HSE does not keep a record of the total number of complaints where breaches were confirmed, but where compliance with the health and safety legislation was secured without formal enforcement.
	The numbers of complaints reported in each of the last five years and those resulting in formal enforcement action are as follows:
	
		
			   Total number of complaints reported  Numbers resulting in formal enforcement 
			 2005-06 21,074 (1)- 
			 2006-07 18,865 617 
			 2007-08 15,309 758 
			 2008-09 13,360 686 
			 2009-10 10,085 517 
			 (1 )Not available. A figure for 2005-06 cannot be assembled without disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	The above figures do not include instances where alleged breaches of health and safety are reported to HSE inspectors during site visits and subsequent action is taken. These figures would be available only at a disproportionate cost.

Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated cost is of Jobcentre Plus's Telephony and Processing Implementation Project.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the estimated cost is of Jobcentre Plus' Telephony and Processing Implementation Project (TPIP). This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	On 21 October 2009 Jobcentre Plus announced changes to the way it manages its telephony and processing business. These changes are aimed at improving both the way in which customers contacting Jobcentre Plus by telephony are dealt with and the way in which claims to benefit are processed.
	This is an 18-month transformation programme which will result in benefit enquiry calls being managed across a single virtual network of contact centres operating with standardised processes. The organisational moves necessary to bring about these changes have already begun. Telephony performance across all benefit lines has improved since October 2009 when calls were brought under the Contact Centre Directorate National Management Team. To date we have transformed four offices into Contact Centres - Newport, Norwich, Sheffield and Springburn.
	TPIP with other projects across DWP has been asked to review costs to ensure that we are transforming our offices in the most cost effective manner. TPIP is also subject to the Cabinet Office review of projects. Jobcentre Plus remains fully committed to the aims of the TPIP. The transformation programme is a key part of the Department's efficiency programme. We are unable to supply any estimated costs until we know the outcome of both reviews. We are expecting to know the outcome of the reviews by the autumn. I will write to you with the estimated costs when the reviews are complete.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Bristol

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) individuals and  (b) lone parents in Bristol North West constituency who will have been on jobseeker's allowance for over 12 months in 2013.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Edinburgh

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most estimate is of the number of  (a) lone parents and  (b) others in Edinburgh East constituency who will have been on jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months by 2013.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Greater London

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals resident in  (a) the UK,  (b) London,  (c) the London Borough of Lambeth and  (d) Streatham constituency were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in each month from January to June 2010; and what proportion were also in receipt of housing benefit in each such month.

Steve Webb: The information requested on the proportion of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants also in receipt of housing benefit is not available.
	Information is collected on the number of housing benefit claimants in receipt of a passported benefit, and the available information on the number who are also receiving income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA(IB)) in Great Britain, London, and the London borough of Lambeth is in the second table. However to provide the total number of JSA claimants receiving housing benefit would require a significant exercise to merge the relevant data and would incur a disproportionate cost.
	The available information, as at July 2010, is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants, January to June 2010 
			  Date  Great Britain  London Government office region  Lambeth local authority  Streatham parliamentary constituency 
			 January 2010 1,561,300 227,300 11,635 4,325 
			 February 2010 1,521,100 224,400 11,915 4,415 
			 March 2010 1,488,400 221,600 11,840 4,340 
			 April 2010 1,456,600 218,600 11,595 4,200 
			 May 2010 1,425,400 215,600 11,485 4,130 
			 June 2010 1,404,000 213,000 11,010 3,960 
			  Notes: 1. Figures exclude clerically held cases. 2. Claimant count data are published at https://www.nomisweb.co.uk 3. Figures for Great Britain and London Government office region are seasonally adjusted; figures for Lambeth local authority and Streatham parliamentary constituency are not seasonally adjusted. 4. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: 100% count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems 
		
	
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients passported from income based jobseeker's allowance 
			  Date   Great Britain  London Government office region  Lambeth local authority 
			 January 2010 All recipients 4,651,100 781,810 39,060 
			  with JSA(IB) 546,340 95,990 5,720 
			  
			 February 2010 All recipients 4,700,160 790,650 39,240 
			  with JSA(IB) 561,900 98,410 5,800 
			  
			 March 2010 All recipients 4,718,940 792,890 39,350 
			  with JSA(IB) 567,810 99,050 5,860 
			  
			 April 2010 All recipients 4,746,320 797,710 39,410 
			  with JSA(IB) 572,120 100,250 5,920 
			  Notes: 1. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 2. Passported status does not include recipients with unknown passported status. 3. Passported benefit as recorded on systems within the local authority. 4. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 5. May 2010 figures will be published on 11 August 2010. 6. Housing benefit is not yet available by parliamentary constituency.  Source: Single housing benefit extract (SHBE)

Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of 18 to 24 year olds in receipt of jobseeker's allowance resident in East Lothian constituency.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate has been made on the number of 18-24 year olds in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance in East Lothian Constituency. (11510)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. In June 2010 the number of 18 to 24 year olds resident in East Lothian parliamentary constituency claiming JSA was 560.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Local Housing Allowance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those in receipt of local housing allowance in each local authority are in employment.

Steve Webb: Complete information is not available.
	Employment status information is only collected for local housing allowance recipients who do receive passported benefits. The available information has been placed in the Library.

Local Housing Allowance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) pensioner households and  (b) working age households are in receipt of local housing allowance in each local authority area.

Steve Webb: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Local Housing Allowance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those in receipt of local housing allowance are in  (a) shared rooms,  (b) one bedroom,  (c) two bedroom,  (d) three bedroom,  (e) four bedroom and  (f) five bedroom properties.

Steve Webb: The local housing allowance relates to bedroom entitlement rather than the actual number of bedrooms in the property; we do not have information on the latter.
	The Department published "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12" on the 23 July. Copies of the document are available in the Library. Table 35 of the document provides a breakdown by bedroom entitlement and local authority for those in receipt of housing benefit assessed under the local housing allowance arrangements.

Local Housing Allowance: Equality

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the race equality impact of proposed changes to local housing allowance.

Steve Webb: The Department has published an initial equality impact assessment for the proposed changes to the local housing allowance rates which includes an indication of the impact on race equality. It is not possible to provide the specific impact of the measures on race equality as such data are not available. Copies of the assessment are available in the Library.

National Employment Savings Trust Corporation

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the internal review of the National Employment Savings Trust to be completed; when he expects to announce the outcome of that review; what individuals and organisations were consulted as part of that review by means of  (a) meetings and  (b) written submissions; on what date and where each such meeting took place; if he will publish each written submission; for what reason no employee or consumer representative was appointed to the review group; and whether he has consulted the European Commission on the application of EU law to those proposals subject to that review, with particular reference to the automatic enrolment requirement.

Steve Webb: The independent review team considering how best to make automatic enrolment work will present their conclusions to Government by 30 September. I expect to announce our response to the review in the autumn.
	In addition to a number of informal meetings with stakeholders, the review team have held three seminars: a seminar with consumer and employee representative groups (20 July); an employer seminar (23 July); and a pensions industry seminar (27 July). The seminars were hosted at the Department's offices in Caxton House, London. The closing date for written submissions to the review is 13 August. The review team will publish a list of stakeholders who took part in the review, along with a summary of their responses.
	The need to increase pension savings by individuals is at the heart of the Government's commitment to introducing automatic enrolment into workplace pensions. The review is intended to ensure the way in which automatic enrolment is introduced strikes the right balance between costs, benefits and risks. The membership of the review team reflects this objective: Paul Johnson has wide experience of economic analysis and developing evidence-based public policy solutions, and David Yeandle and Adrian Boulding provide the review team with the expertise they need to understand what the reforms mean for employers and for the pensions industry. The review team is, of course, engaging with all relevant stakeholder interests through their meetings, the seminars and written submissions.
	No engagement has been made with the European Commission on possible outcomes of the review.

New Deal Schemes: Expenditure

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the costs to the public purse was of the New Deal in each year between 1997-98 and 2002-03; what assessment he made of the effectiveness of that scheme in that period; and how many incapacity benefit claimants there were in total.

Chris Grayling: The cost to the public purse of the New Deals is as follows. Figures are also shown separately for the New Deal for Disabled People.
	
		
			  Programme and Administration expenditure on New Deals 1997-2003( 1) 
			  Period  Yearly outturn for New Deal programmes (£ million) 
			 1997-98 43 
			 1998-99 314 
			 1999-2000 535 
			 2000-01 565 
			 2001-02 629 
			 2002-03 614 
		
	
	
		
			  Programme and Administration expenditure on NDDP 1997-2003 
			  Period  Yearly outturn for New Deal for Disabled People (£ million) 
			 1997-98 0 
			 1998-99 1 
			 1999-2000 22 
			 2000-01 14 
			 2001-02 10 
			 2002-03 31 
			 (1) Notes: 1. Yearly outturn data include programme and administrative expenditure but exclude the cost of AME training allowances. 2. The figures for 2002-03 include an estimate of administrative expenditure. 3. These figures are available in the Departmental Report 2009 which is available in the Library. 
		
	
	The total numbers of IB customers over the same period are as follows.
	
		
			  Incapacity Benefit Caseload 1997-2003( 2) 
			  Date as at November:  Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance claimants 
			 1997 2,837,500 
			 1998 2,767,600 
			 1999 2,738,130 
			 2000 2,764,140 
			 2001 2,787,710 
			 2002 2,818,480 
			 2003 2,822,270 
			 (2) Notes: 1. November 1997 to November 1998 figures are based on sample data and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 2. 5% sample figures rounded to the nearest 100, and 100% caseloads to the nearest 10. 3. 5% sample figures have been uprated using 5% proportions against 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) totals.  Sources: 1. 1997-98 figures: Information Directorate 5% samples. 2. 1999 onwards: DWP Information Directorate: WPLS 100% data. 
		
	
	NDDP resulted in a seven percentage point increase in the proportion of customers who were in employment 24 months after starting the programme, and an 11 percentage point increase for existing customers.
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep430.pdf

Pathways to Work

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of participants in Pathways to Work moved into employment from  (a) in-house and  (b) private sector Pathways to Work providers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009, there were 303,040 starts to Pathways to Work in Jobcentre Plus areas, of which 41,910 (13.8%) had moved into employment by 31 January 2010.
	Over the same period, there were 273,200 starts to Pathways to Work in Provider-Led areas, of which 42,220 (15.5%) had moved into employment by 31 January 2010.(1)
	Jobs information is drawn from tax records from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. The data do not include people who are self-employed, and some people earning below the tax threshold. These figures are therefore likely to be an underestimate of the proportions finding work. There are also process differences between Jobcentre Plus and Provider-Led Pathways which means the proportions are not directly comparable.
	(1)( )Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
	 Source:
	DWP JCP and Provider-Led Pathways to Work databases.

Pension Credit

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to implement the State Pension Credit Pilot Scheme Regulations 2010.

Steve Webb: We expect that the State Pension Credit Pilot Scheme Regulations 2010 will come into force in July, with a view to running the planned research study later in the year.

Pension Credit

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of expenditure on pension credit was paid  (a) to (i) men and (ii) women and  (b) to recipients in each income decile in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: Expenditure on pension credit given to single men, single women and couples in 2009-10 in Great Britain, nominal terms:
	
		
			   £ billion 
			 Single men 1.9 
			 Single women 4.1 
			 Couples 2.1 
			 Total pension credit 8.1 
			  Source: DWP statistical and accounting data 
		
	
	Information on the proportion of the expenditure on pension credit by equivalised household income deciles for pensioners only on an after housing cost basis in Great Britain, 2006-07 to 2008-09 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  2006-07 to 2008-09  Percentage 
			 Bottom decile 9 
			 Second decile 20 
			 Third decile 14 
			 Fourth decile 10 
			 Fifth decile 10 
			 Sixth decile 8 
			 Seventh decile 11 
			 Eighth decile 11 
			 Ninth decile 6 
			 Top decile 2 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates are derived from the Family Resources Survey and are based on a three year average to help take account of small sample sizes in certain deciles and statistical variation across the years. 2. Estimates are rounded to the nearest percentage point, so the deciles may not sum to 100% due to rounding. 3. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series. 4. The deciles are derived using OECD equalisation factors. 5. The Family Resources Survey is known to undercount receipt of certain benefits. This methodology assumes that this undercount is spread proportionally across deciles. 
		
	
	Take up of the guarantee credit pension credit was between 71% and 81% of those estimated to be entitled in 2008-09. The majority of pensioners in the lowest decile appear from the data collected in the Family Resources Survey to have an entitlement to pension credit but have not made a claim so pension credit expenditure on pensioners in the lowest decile is relatively low.
	Pension credit recipients within the top four deciles generally either have severe disabilities, which entitle them to disability benefits and premiums which increases their income to reflect the additional costs of disability, or be living within a wider household, for example with their families, whose income raises the household equivalised income to the higher deciles. In this circumstances the pensioner's income is assessed independently of the wider household to establish entitlement to pension credit.

Pension Protection Fund

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of savings which would accrue to the Pension Protection Fund as a result of linking pension indexation to the consumer price index in each of the next five years.

Steve Webb: The factors that may affect savings to the Pension Protection Fund are complex including how schemes might implement planned changes to statutory revaluation and indexation minima and the impacts on scheme investment profiles. The Board of the PPF expects to publish an assessment of the impact of the CPI change along with their report and accounts, once they are approved by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office and laid before Parliament in the autumn.

Pensioners: Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to reduce the level of pensioner poverty in  (a) Southend West constituency and  (b) Essex; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: We will restore the earnings link for the basic state pension from April 2011, with a 'triple guarantee' that the basic state pension will increase by the highest of earnings, prices or 2.5%. In 2011, if the basic state pension is increased by more than earnings under the triple guarantee we intend that, as a minimum, all single pension credit recipients will benefit from the full cash value of this increase.
	We will also protect key benefits for older people such as the winter fuel payment, free television licences, free bus travel, and free eye tests and prescriptions.
	We want to ensure that older people receive the help that they are entitled to. We aim to simplify the benefit system and as a first step we will be looking to conduct a research study into the feasibility of using existing data to help to improve the take-up of pension credit.
	We will help prevent people from falling into poverty in later life by simplifying the rules and regulations relating to pensions to help reinvigorate occupational pensions. We will encourage companies to offer high-quality pensions to all employees and will work with businesses and the industry to support auto enrolment.

Pensioners: Teachers

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the planned Public Sector Pensions Review will consider whether to remove the index link from teachers' pensions.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The Independent Public Service Pensions has been tasked with undertaking a fundamental structural review of public service pension provision, the scope of which is set out in the terms of reference which can be found on the Treasury website under Independent Reviews at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/indreview _johnhutton_pensions.htm
	The Teachers Pension Scheme falls within the scope of the review.
	At the emergency Budget in June, the Chancellor announced that from April 2011 public service pensions, including Teachers' Pensions will be uprated by CPI rather than RPI. It will be for the Independent Commission to decide how to take account of this and other factors when reviewing public service pensions.

Pensions

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit in (i) Ashfield, (ii) Argyll and Bute and (iii) Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table:
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Ashfield 20,450 6,690 5,290 
			 Argyll and Bute 21,420 5,740 4,810 
			 Na h-Eileanan an Iar 6,420 2,850 2,370 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. For pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009.

Pensions Act 2008

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which the penalty regime laid down in the regulations accompanying the Pensions Act 2008 meets his Department's better regulation principles.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions is firmly committed to the principles of better regulation and to good quality policy-making to achieve proportionate, consistent, transparent and targeted regulation.
	The Pensions Regulator will take a graduated and proportionate approach to enforcing compliance with the new employer duties being introduced under the 2012 workplace pension reforms. The aim of the compliance regime will be to encourage compliance by focusing first on educating and enabling employers to comply.
	We believe the regime of fixed and escalating penalties prescribed in the Employers' Duties (Registration and Compliance) Regulations 2010 is compatible with the principles of better regulation. Equally the regulations meet those principles set out specifically in relation to sanctions, in the context of a risk based approach to regulation, in Professor Richard B. Macrory's 2006 report 'Regulatory Justice: Making Sanctions Effective'.

Pensions Act 2008

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the effects of implementing the Pensions Act 2008 on the labour market.

Steve Webb: DWP published "Workplace Pension Reform Regulations Impact Assessment" on 12 January 2010. This showed that based on the current labour market structure the weighted average increase in labour costs across all industries as a result of the Workplace Pension Reforms introduced in the Pensions Act 2008 is estimated to be 0.6 per cent.
	The cost of the reform varies across industries, and is concentrated in industries with higher levels of employment, or those which currently have low pension provision.
	The Government are committed to introducing auto-enrolment as an effective means of increasing pension saving. The review into how to make automatic enrolment work, announced on 24 June, will consider whether the approach inherited from the previous administration strikes the right balance between cost, benefits and risks for individuals, for employers and for the taxpayer. The review will be carried out over the summer and will conclude by 30 September.

Pensions: EU Action

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the proposals in Chapter 3.4.2 of the EU Green Paper on Pensions, COM (2010) 365 final, on improving solvency of final salary pensions schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The Green Paper is consultative and does not contain any firm proposals on pension scheme solvency although it does discuss the issue. The Government are considering all the issues in the Green Paper and will be responding in the autumn.

Pensions: Lewisham

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit in Lewisham East constituency.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table:
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency: Lewisham East 
			   Number 
			 State pension recipients 12,910 
			 Pension credit individual beneficiaries 4,640 
			 Pension credit household recipients 4,020 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. For pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009.

Post Office Card Account

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) undertaken on whether the Post Office card account meets the needs of its users.

Steve Webb: The Post Office card account is a product provided by Post Office Limited. My Department has not undertaken any customer research specifically relating to the Post Office card account. However, I understand Post Office Limited has undertaken such research in order to monitor the effectiveness of its own products.
	DWP has undertaken work in the past to understand the personal and financial needs of its customers to help ensure there is a range of suitable products available to them. The consistent message from Post Office card account customers is that they like the fact that it is a simple product with limited features and that it does not allow them to go overdrawn.
	The Post Office card account is just one of the many banking products that customers can choose to use to receive their payments of benefits and pensions, and many of these can be used at post office branches.

Post Office Card Account: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number people in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London borough of Bexley who have post office card accounts.

Steve Webb: As at February 2010, the latest date for which information is available, the number of post office card accounts held in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency was 3,650. The number held in the London borough of Bexley was 9,310.

Pregnant Women: Grants

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers for their second or subsequent child in Stretford and Urmston constituency in 2009-10.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers for their second or subsequent child in Houghton and Sunderland South constituency in 2009-10.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers in  (a) Slough,  (b) Salisbury and  (c) Scarborough and Whitby constituency in respect of a second or subsequent child in 2009-10.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers in the area now covered by Worsley and Eccles South constituency in respect of a second or subsequent child.

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start Maternity Grants were made to mothers in Makerfield constituency in respect of a second or subsequent child in 2009-10.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers for their second or subsequent child in Kingston upon Hull North constituency in 2009-10.

Steve Webb: A total of 274,000 Sure Start maternity grants were awarded in Great Britain in 2009-10. The exact number of awards for a second or subsequent maternity is not available, but is estimated to be 52% of all awards, around 143,000.
	The number of awards made in 2009-10 is available by Government office region or Jobcentre Plus Social Fund budget area only, not by constituency.
	 Source for total number of awards:
	Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.
	 Note:
	Both numbers have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Pregnant Women: Grants

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers in  (a) Glasgow North and  (b) the area covered by Ealing Central and Acton constituency in 2009-10.

Steve Webb: A total of 274,000 Sure Start Maternity Grants were awarded in Great Britain in 2009-10.
	The number of awards made in 2009-10 is available by Government Office Region or Jobcentre Plus Social Fund budget area only, not by constituency.
	 Note:
	The number has been rounded to the nearest 1,000.
	 Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Pregnant Women: Grants

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) individuals and  (b) individuals on low incomes received the Sure Start Maternity Grant in (i) England and (ii) the West Midlands in each year since 2002.

Steve Webb: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of Sure Start Maternity Grant awards made by financial year 
			   England  West Midlands( 1) 
			 2002-03(2) 199,010 n/a 
			 2003-04 204,310 26,380 
			 2004-05 203,480 26,560 
			 2005-06 205,750 26,410 
			 2006-07 205,890 26,740 
			 2007-08 211,210 27,890 
			 2008-09 229,030 30,790 
			 2009-10 240,200 31,310 
			 (1) The West Midlands has been interpreted as the Government Office Region of that name. (2) Data for 2002-03 for the West Midlands Government Office Region are not available, because one Social Fund district then straddled the border between the West Midlands and the East Midlands Government Office Regions. (Data are only available by Social Fund district.)  Notes: 1. Due to the qualifying conditions for Sure Start Maternity Grants all individuals who receive an award are classed as being on low income. 2. The information above includes Sure Start Maternity Grants awarded on re-consideration or appeal. 3. The number of Sure Start Maternity Grant awards has been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to meet Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government to discuss the effect on Wales of expenditure reductions in his Department.

Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State is planning to meet Leighton Andrews, Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning in the Welsh Assembly Government, on 7 September 2010 and other Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government on 13 October 2010. The planned meetings are to discuss a range of issues, including economic, social and welfare policy relating to Wales and the rest of the UK.

Retirement

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on life expectancy of members of each socio-economic group of raising the retirement age.

Steve Webb: Any equal increase in state pension age does have a greater impact on socio-economic groups with lower life expectancy than those with higher life expectancy. We need to deal with the underlying reasons for the variation in life expectancy.
	There are no official projections of life expectancy by socio-economic group. However data on the change in life expectancy at age 65 by socio-economic group between 1972-76 and 2002-05 are available and presented in the following table:
	
		
			  Change in life expectancy between 1972-76 and 2002-05 at age 65 by social class, men and women, England and Wales 
			  Socio-economic group  Increase in life expectancy between 1972-76 and 2002-05 (years) 
			Men  Women 
			 I Professional 4.3 2.9 
			 II Managerial and technical 4.7 3.8 
			 IIIN Skilled non-manual 4.9 2.1 
			 IIIM Skilled manual 4.1 2.4 
			 IV Partly skilled 3.5 2.0 
			 V Unskilled 2.5 1.1 
			  All non-manual (I, II, IIIN) 4.8 3.0 
			  All manual (IIIM, IV, V) 3.8 2.0 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are period life expectancy, meaning they do not take account of improvements in mortality of these cohorts over time.  2. Data only cover England and Wales. There is no information on the other countries of the United Kingdom  3. Socio-economic groups I and V comprise a small percentage of the population. Data for these groups should be interpreted with caution, particularly for women.  4. The socio-economic classification is based on the occupational status of the individual, their spouse or parent.   Source:  ONS Longitudinal Study. 
		
	
	All socio-economic groups saw a significant increase in life expectancy between 1972-76 and 2002-05.
	Variations in life expectancy for different socio-economic groups will be considered as part of the review into increasing the state pension age to 66, announced on 24 June.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people unable to work due to a workplace injury were claiming disability benefit in each year from 1997 to 2009.

Chris Grayling: This information is not available.

Social Security benefits: Medical Examinations

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much on average a health care professional undertaking incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance medical assessment was paid per client in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: Health care professionals are paid directly by Atos Healthcare; the Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information about amounts paid. The Department pays for all of the services provided under the Medical Services contract, the total cost amounting to approximately £100 million per annum. This figure not only covers the total numbers of examinations undertaken but also costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements. The figure also covers salaries and fees paid directly by Atos Healthcare to their health care professionals.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions the Chief Medical Adviser to the Department has waived recruitment criteria over minimum post registration experience required by health care professionals undertaking incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance medical assessments over the last five years.

Chris Grayling: Reliable figures are only available for 2009 and 2010. The chief medical adviser waived the requirement that healthcare professionals have three years post registration experience twice during 2009, and has not done so at all during 2010 to date.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 22 July 2010,  Official Report, column 558, on social security benefits: medical examination, what level of qualifications health care professionals undertaking incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance medical assessments must hold in disability assessment medicine.

Chris Grayling: Qualification is dependent upon successful completion of the required training course in disability assessment medicine. The training course is developed by Atos Healthcare and agreed with the Department's Chief Medical Adviser.

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in respect of which benefit offices in northern Scotland trial reassessments of customers receiving incapacity benefit and income support will be undertaken; and whether he plans to increase staffing levels at those centres.

Chris Grayling: The office conducting the trial for the reassessment of customers receiving incapacity benefit in Scotland will be Aberdeen. Funding for increased staffing levels has been made available to the centres to undertake the trials.

State Retirement Pensions

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of the basic state pension in-year under the policies applied in the previous Parliament for  (a) 2011-12,  (b) 2012-13,  (c) 2013-14 and  (d) 2014-15.

Steve Webb: The coalition Government are providing a triple guarantee that the basic state pension will rise each year by the highest of earnings, prices or 2.5%. For 2011, we will additionally ensure that the increase will not be lower than it would have been under the previous uprating arrangements.
	The previous Government introduced a statutory requirement to restore the earnings link by the end of this parliament as stated in the May 2006 White Paper:
	"During the next Parliament, we will re-link the uprating of the basic State Pension to average earnings. Our objective, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, is to do this in 2012, but in any event by the end of the next Parliament at the latest. We will make a statement on the precise date at the beginning of the next Parliament."
	The following table provides projected levels of the basic state pension depending on which year between 2011 and 2015 the earnings link is restored. In each scenario we assume that the basic state pension is increased by RPI inflation until the restoration of the earnings link. Estimates use the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecasts for growth published in the Budget of 22 June 2010.
	The rates are indicative only as actual levels of inflation and earnings may differ from forecasts.
	
		
			  Level of the basic state pension, standard rate on own contributions, weekly amount 
			  £ 
			   Year of earnings link restoration 
			  Level of BSP in:  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15  2015-16 
			 April 2011 99.50 101.85 101.85 101.85 101.85 
			 April 2012 101.50 103.90 105.30 105.30 105.30 
			 April 2013 103.65 106.10 107.50 108.45 108.45 
			 April 2014 107.70 110.25 111.70 112.70 111.90

State Retirement Pensions

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of expenditure on the basic state pension was paid  (a) to (i) men and (ii) women and  (b) to recipients in each income decile in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Expenditure on state pension by gender in 2009-10, GB and overseas, nominal terms 
			  £ billion 
			   Men  Women 
			 Basic state pension 22.9 30.8 
			 Additional pension 6.9 5.8 
			 Total state pension 29.8 36.6 
			  Notes:  1. Basic state pension includes expenditure on graduated retirement benefit.  2. Additional pension includes expenditure on state second pension, the state earnings related pension scheme, and all lump-sum payments for deferred claims of state pension.   Source:  DWP statistical and accounting data. 
		
	
	 (b) Information on the proportion of the expenditure on basic state pension by income deciles is not available exactly as requested. Information set out in the following table shows the proportion of the expenditure on overall state pension (basic state pension and additional pension) by equivalised household income deciles on an after housing cost basis. Estimates are derived from the Family Resources Survey and are based on a three-year average to help take account of small sample sizes in certain deciles and statistical variation across the years.
	
		
			  Proportion of expenditure on overall state pension (basic state pension and additional pension) by equivalised income decile based on pensioners only, Great Britain, 2006-07 to 2008-09 (after housing costs) 
			   Percentage 
			 Bottom decile 8 
			 Second decile 9 
			 Third decile 10 
			 Fourth decile 10 
			 Fifth decile 10 
			 Sixth decile 11 
			 Seventh decile 11 
			 Eighth decile 11 
			 Ninth decile 11 
			 Top decile 10 
			  Notes:  1. Estimates are derived from the Family Resources Survey and are based on a three-year average to help take account of small sample sizes in certain deciles and statistical variation across the years.  2. Estimates are rounded to the nearest percentage point, so the deciles may not sum to 100% due to rounding.  3. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication "Households Below Average Income" series.  4. The quintiles and deciles are derived using OECD equalisation factors.  5. The Family Resources Survey is known to undercount receipt of certain benefits. This methodology assumes that this undercount is spread proportionally across deciles.

Unemployment Benefits

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people  (a) had been claiming unemployment benefit for more than six months on 31 December 1992 and  (b) claiming jobseeker's allowance for more than six months on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many young people (a) had been claiming unemployment benefit for more than six months on 31 December 1992 and (b) claiming jobseeker's allowance for more than six months on the latest date for which figures are available. (10859)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	The number of young people claiming unemployment benefit in the United Kingdom for more than six months on 31 December 1992 is unavailable. The earliest available data are for February 1994.
	The number of 18-24 year olds claiming unemployment benefit for more than six months in February 1994 was 357,180. The number of 18-24 year olds claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for more than six months in June 2010 was 103,230.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Unemployment: East Lothian

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of children living in workless households in East Lothian constituency.

Maria Miller: In 2008, there were estimated to be 1,600 children living in workless households in East Lothian. This figure has been rounded to the nearest 100.
	The estimate is based on the Household Annual Population Survey (HAPS). The latest available wave for the HAPS is 2008.
	It is important to note that as with any sample survey, estimates from the HAPS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. At the constituency level the group in question is very specific and the estimate is based on very small sample sizes. Therefore, the margin of uncertainty is very large for this estimate and the figure is deemed unreliable and would not be used by the Department for Work and Pensions for practical purposes.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its predecessor spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not keep a separate record of expenditure on alcohol. Such expenditure is included within the hospitality account. Expenditure on alcohol and entertaining is based on the principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money. Accordingly, alcohol is provided only as an exception and then only with the specific written authority of a small number of designated senior civil servants.

Work Capability Assessment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that work capability assessments are carried out fairly.

Chris Grayling: Work capability assessments (WCA) are carried out by health care professionals (HCPs) employed by Atos Healthcare. The contract between the Department for Work and Pensions and Atos Healthcare contains a number of quality targets relating to audit conducted by experienced medical auditors within Atos Healthcare. The quality of Atos Healthcare's audit is validated by doctors working for the chief medical adviser to the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The Department undertook an internal review of the WCA which was published on 29 March. The review found that generally the assessment accurately identifies individuals for benefit. The review made a number of recommendations for improving the WCA, which we have recently confirmed, that we will be implementing.
	Additionally, the Government also have a statutory commitment to arrange an independent review of the main elements of the WCA every year for the first five years of operation. This review will look at the WCA in operation and is distinct from the Department-led review which focused on the technical accuracy of the assessment and whether it could better account for how individuals adapt to their condition. It is anticipated that a call for evidence will be made shortly.

Work Capability Assessment

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the average cost of carrying out a work capability assessment for people in receipt of incapacity benefit.

Chris Grayling: Information regarding the cost of individual work capability assessments is commercially sensitive. The total cost of the services provided by Atos Healthcare to the Department for Work and Pensions for all benefit streams covered under the medical services contract amounts to approximately £100 million per annum. This figure not only covers the total number of examinations undertaken across all benefits, but also costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements.

Work Capability Assessment: Costs

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average estimated administrative cost is of re-assessing incapacity benefit claimants for eligibility for employment and support allowance.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is unavailable.
	We are planning to evaluate the administrative costs for re-assessing incapacity benefit claimants following the introduction of changes. Until we have more complete information following national implementation we will be unable to provide a standard administrative cost figure, we expect to have this information around the second to third quarter of next year.

Work Capability Assessment: Costs

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has been made of the projected reduction in expenditure which will result from re-assessing 1.5 million incapacity benefit claimants for eligibility for employment and support allowance; and how that estimate has been calculated.

Chris Grayling: There are one-off costs of reassessment of £300 million and average annual net savings of £200 million a year for five years. These figures are in net present value (NPV) and are detailed in the impact assessment that accompanied the reassessment regulations. NPV discounts future benefits and costs to express them as present values.
	The impact assessment can be found at:
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/em/uksiem_20100875_en.pdf

Work Capability Assessment: Costs

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost to his Department was of carrying out each work capability assessment for existing incapacity benefit claimants in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: Information regarding the cost of individual work capability assessments is commercially sensitive. The total cost of the services provided by Atos Healthcare to the Department for Work and Pensions for all benefit streams covered under the Medical Services contract amounts to approximately £100 million per annum. This figure not only covers the total number of examinations undertaken across all benefits, but also costs relating to written and verbal medical advice, fixed overheads, administrative costs, investment in new technology and other service improvements.

Written Questions

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to answer Question  (a) 4540 and  (b) 4541, tabled on 23 June 2010 for answer on 28 June 2010, on the renaming of council tax benefit.

Steve Webb: I replied to the hon. Member's questions on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 757W.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Equal Opportunities: Candidates

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she plans to take to encourage more candidates from under-represented groups to stand at the next general election.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 22 July 2010
	Following the recent general election there has been an increase in the number of MPs from under-represented groups, including an increase in the number of women MPs and those from an ethnic minority background to 22% and 4% respectively. Numbers of disabled MPs and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender MPs are unknown, but we believe there is under-representation of these groups in Parliament.
	There is still more to do. That is why the Government are considering the recommendations by the Speaker's Conference on representation very carefully. We have already made an early commitment as part of our coalition agreement to introduce extra support for disabled people who want to become MPs, councillors or other elected officials.
	The Equality Act will allow political parties to have selection arrangements for candidates designed to reduce inequalities, including all women shortlists, until the end of 2030. These Provisions will come in to force in October 2010 during the first wave of implementation of the Act.
	The Government Equalities Office has commissioned research to understand the barriers faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people participating in civil society. This is looking at a broad range of ways to participate, including standing for Parliament. In light of the findings of the research, we will consider what further steps we can take to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to participate visibly, including developing tools to support those who want to participate but are unsure how to.
	I look forward to working closely with the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure that equality and diversity are at the heart of the constitutional reform agenda.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office has paid to trade unions in each year since 2007; and what estimate she has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by the Government Equalities Office for use by trade unions in each year since 2007.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office has had one elected trade union official in post since 2009 and estimates the annual cost to be £5,800.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many paid manpower hours civil servants in the Government Equalities Office spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 2007.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office has had one elected trade union official since 2009-10, who is allocated a facility time allowance of up to 187 hours a year.
	The GEO representative has used the full allowance permitted since 2009.

WALES

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) her Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which her Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

David Jones: There has been no disposal of land or of buildings by the Wales Office since May 2005.

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of invoices from suppliers her Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010.

David Jones: The Wales Office has paid the following proportion of invoices within 10 days of receipt:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 July 2010 98 
			 August 2010 100

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much office space per employee her Department and its predecessor occupied in each year since 1997.

David Jones: The Wales Office has an office in London and an office in Cardiff. The following figures are the average office space per employee since 2004. Figures prior to 2004, and each year since 1997 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Site  Footage( m2 ) (approx)  Staff numbers (approx)  Average( m2)  per employee 
			 London 896 36 24 
			 Cardiff 557 21 27

Departmental Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by her Department in each year since 2005.

David Jones: Since 2005 we have spent the following on external consultants:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 37,699 
			 2007-08 17,037 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 3,691

Departmental Consultants

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the  (a) average and  (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by her Department was in each of the last five years.

David Jones: The average and highest daily rates paid to consultants by my Department in the last five years were:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Average  Highest 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2006-07 1,700 1,700 
			 2007-08 629 737 
			 2008-09 0 0 
			 2009-10 650 650

Departmental Coordination

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which Ministers in each Department have been designated to liaise on Welsh issues with her Department.

Cheryl Gillan: An announcement will be made shortly and the list will be placed in both Libraries of the House.

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department and its predecessor spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

David Jones: The Wales Office does not hold any vacant property, and has not previously.

Departmental Fines

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many transport-related fines her Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each such year.

David Jones: Nil.

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many chairs her Department and its predecessor purchased in each year since 1997; how much was spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

David Jones: The Wales Office was created in 1999. Records are held from 2006-07 onwards and are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of chairs  Cost (£) 
			 2006-07 8 816.86 
			 2007-08 0 0 
			 2008-09 0 0 
			 2009-10 3 2,042.75 
		
	
	The five most expensive were:
	1. £883.60
	2. £659.76
	3. £499.39
	4/5. £79.00
	The three chairs in 2009-10 were ergonomic chairs, purchased following occupational health assessments that deemed the chairs essential for the individuals concerned. They were procured through the Ministry of Justice.

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which IT contracts awarded by her Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was.

David Jones: The Wales Office has not awarded any IT contract in the last five years. Its IT services are provided by the Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the annual expenditure on vehicles of her Department was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

David Jones: The Wales Office has paid the following amounts on vehicles over the last three years:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 132,366 
			 2008-09 217,189 
			 2009-10 184,009 
		
	
	The planned expenditure for 2010-11 is yet to be finalised. My office has already cancelled the car contracted for my use in London and we are currently looking at value for money options for the car used by myself and the Secretary of State in Wales.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by her Department in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

David Jones: Costs incurred by the Wales office for pension contributions in each of the last three financial years were:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 429,007.42 
			 2008-09 468,342.66 
			 2009-10 528,261.02 
		
	
	The expenditure figure for 2010-11 is likely to be around £430,000.

Departmental Training

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many external training courses were attended by staff of her Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such course.

David Jones: In the 12 month period from 1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010 officials in the Wales Office have attended 14 training courses. In addition a senior manager is undertaking a 12 month leadership programme at a cost of £10,500.
	The cost of each course is broken down as follows:
	£1,315.00
	£464.13
	£2,240.00
	£450.00
	£665.00
	£176.25
	£176.25
	£395.00
	£395.00
	£395.00
	£2,750.00
	£39.50
	£908.50
	£908.50

Railways: Electrification

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the Government informed the Welsh Assembly Government of its decision not to proceed with proposals to electrify the rail line between South Wales and London.

Cheryl Gillan: No such decision has been taken.

Railways: Electrification

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the Government's decision on proposals for the electrification of the rail line between South Wales and London.

Cheryl Gillan: I am meeting my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 9 September 2010 and I have recently written to my right hon. Friend regarding the issue of rail electrification.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department and its predecessor spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

David Jones: The Wales Office was established in July 1999. We do not hold records on the amount spent on taxi fares prior to 2002.
	My Department has spent the following amounts on taxis:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 1,266 
			 2003-04 1,154 
			 2004-05 625 
			 2005-06 2,321 
			 2006-07 2,194 
			 2007-08 3,424 
			 2008-09 5,505 
			 2009-10 7,038

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department and its predecessor spent on wine in each year since 1997.

David Jones: There has been no Wales Office expenditure on wine since my appointment.
	For previous, Wales Office records do not disaggregate the cost of wine from other expenditure for ministerial receptions.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much development aid his Department has allocated to Afghanistan in each year since 2002.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has spent aid in Afghanistan since 2002 as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 50.00 
			 2002-03 74.50 
			 2003-04 79.70 
			 2004-05 80.40 
			 2005-06 94.60 
			 2006-07 96.40 
			 2007-08 108.70 
			 2008-09 129.80 
			 2009-10 141.50 
			 2010-11 128.00 
		
	
	The 2010-11 commitment will rise in light of the Prime Minister's announcement of a £200 million uplift up to 2013-14. However, allocations by year have not yet been finalised.

British Council

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether any work undertaken by the British Council is classed as aid for the purposes of monitoring performance against the commitment in the Coalition Agreement to spend 0.7 per cent. of gross national income on aid.

Alan Duncan: Any work undertaken by the British Council that meets the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA) will be classed as aid for purposes of monitoring performance against the commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on aid.

Departmental Billing

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of payments made by his Department to  (a) small and medium-sized enterprise suppliers and  (b) all suppliers were made (i) within 10 days of receipt of invoice and (ii) on the agreed payment terms in the last three months for which information is available.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) paid the following percentage of suppliers within 10 days of receipt of invoice in the last three months. DFID does not hold payment performance information against agreed payment terms or specifically relating to small and medium-sized enterprise suppliers.
	
		
			   Percentage payments made within 10 days 
			 April 90.52 
			 May 91.9 
			 June 93.63

Departmental Fines

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each year.

Alan Duncan: DFID had one transport related fine of £30 paid on behalf of staff. The payment was made in 2007.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) his Department and  (b) each non-departmental public body for which he is responsible in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Alan Duncan: The cost of pension contributions incurred by the Department for International Development (DFID) is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Total employers contributions (ASLCs) paid to the PCSPS. (Classic, Classic+, Premium, Nuvos)  Total employers partnership contributions paid to the partnership providers. (Scottish Widows, Standard Life, TUC/Prudential)  Employer's contributions to the PCSPS to cover death in service and ill health benefits of partnership optants (0.8%) 
			 2007-08 13,877,275 118,719 8,016 
			 2008-09 13,961,146 136,123 9,762 
			 2009-10 (1)14,330,381 167,021 12,598 
			 2010-11(2) 14,652,877 172,424 12,138 
			 (1 )From financial year 2009-10, the Department for International Development has included the employer's pension contributions of its locally engaged overseas staff in the staff costs entry in its resource accounts. In 2009-10 these costs were approximately £225,000. (2) Projected figures. 
		
	
	DFID has one non-departmental public body, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSCUK). No pension contributions were paid by CSCUK in the last three financial years. CSCUK does not plan to make pension contributions in 2010-11.

East Kilbride

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff at each  (a) grade and  (b) pay band are employed at his Department's offices at (i) Abercrombie House, East Kilbride and (ii) Palace Street, London SW1.

Alan Duncan: In the Department for International Development, grade and pay band are aligned. Therefore, the grade and the pay band are the same.
	As at 30 June 2010 the numbers of Home civil service (HCS) staff in (i) Abercrombie House, East Kilbride and (ii) Palace street, London, by job grade, were:
	
		
			  Grade  Pay band (£)  East Kilbride  London  Total 
			 SCS-G1A £141,800-£277,300 0 1 1 
			 SCS-G2 £101,500-£208,200 0 4 4 
			 SCS-G3 £82,900-£162,500 0 13 13 
			 SCS-G5 £58,200-£117,750 9 42 51 
			 A1 £55,505-£68,221 35 129 164 
			 A2 £43,985-£56,293 72 218 290 
			 A2(L) £36,700-£43,938 56 49 105 
			 B1(D)-Fast Stream £30,403-£36,377 5 25 30 
			 B1 £26,830-£34,534 107 110 217 
			 B2 £21,289-£27,317 103 97 200 
			 C1 £18,622-£22,530 79 54 133 
			 C2 £15,305-£19,200 8 12 20 
			 Totals  474 754 1,228

East Kilbride

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will ensure that the work of his Department's evaluation section will stay in East Kilbride.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) Evaluation Department will remain in East Kilbride with substantial changes to its role, size and staffing. Once established in 2011, the Independent Aid Watchdog will commission all independent evaluations, while the role of the Evaluation Department will focus on embedding rigorous evaluation within DFID programmes as part of a wider drive on evidence.

East Kilbride

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps have been taken to make his Department's evaluation section based in East Kilbride independent of his Department.

Andrew Mitchell: Once the Independent Aid Watchdog is established in 2011, it will commission all independent evaluations of the Department for International Development (DFID). DFID's Evaluation Department based in East Kilbride will continue to exist but its role will change significantly, from delivering evaluations to supporting policy and operational staff in embedding rigorous evaluation within DFID programmes.

East Kilbride

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he intends to retain the evaluation unit based at his Department's headquarters in East Kilbride.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) Evaluation Department based in East Kilbride will continue to exist with substantial changes to its role, size and staffing. Once established in 2011, the Independent Aid Watchdog will commission all independent evaluations, while the role of the Evaluation Department will focus on embedding rigorous evaluation within DFID programmes as part of a wider drive on evidence.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on whether goods requested for import to Gaza by humanitarian agencies not listed in the publication Gaza: Dual Use Arrangements, published on 4 July 2010, have been denied access.

Alan Duncan: Neither the Secretary of State nor I have had discussions with the Government of Israel regarding access for goods requested by humanitarian agencies for import to Gaza which are not on the dual use list.
	Department for International Development (DFID) officials continue to raise the issue of access for humanitarian goods with the relevant Israeli authorities.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has requested information from his Israeli counterpart on whether any  (a) humanitarian and  (b) commercial items have been refused or delayed entry to Gaza by the Israeli authorities since the Israeli Prime Minister's announcement on 5 July 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: Neither the Secretary of State nor I have requested information from the Government of Israel regarding humanitarian or commercial items that have been refused access or have been delayed.
	Department for International Development (DFID) officials continue to raise the issue of access for humanitarian and commercial goods with the relevant Israeli authorities.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports he has received on  (a) the access arrangements and  (b) the daily number of laden goods vehicles transiting the Karni crossing to Gaza.

Alan Duncan: The only goods currently permitted through the Karni crossing into Gaza are those which can be transferred via the conveyor belt. This includes grain, animal feed, and aggregates.
	Statistics compiled by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) show that 604 truckloads worth of goods entered Gaza through Karni between 1 and 23 August. With Karni currently operating two days per week, this equates to an average of 86 truckloads per day.
	Data on import volumes into Gaza are published online by the UN at:
	http://www.ochaopt.org/GazaCrossings.aspx?id=1010003

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he last made representations to the Israeli authorities on reopening the Karni crossing into Gaza; and what response he received.

Alan Duncan: Neither the Secretary of State nor I have discussed the Karni crossing with the Israeli authorities. In early August, senior officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) discussed Gaza with General Dangot, the Co-ordinator for Government Activities in the Territories. General Dangot cited security concerns as the reason for not fully reopening Karni.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the highest number of import and export truckloads passing through the Karni commercial crossing between Israel and Gaza between November 2005 and June 2007.

Alan Duncan: The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the period of greatest activity between November 2005 and June 2007 was 4 to 17 February 2006. An average of 414 truckloads of goods entered and 62 truckloads left Gaza through the Karni crossing each day it was operational during this period.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received of the reasons given by the Israeli government for not reopening the Karni crossing; and whether he has made an assessment of the reasons for its continued closure.

Alan Duncan: The Government of Israel has cited security concerns as the reason for not fully reopening the Karni crossing. The UK Government are continuing to work closely with the international community to assist in delivering practical solutions to the many access issues currently facing Gaza.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports he has received on the truckload capacity of the Kerem Shalom crossing point for imports and exports to Gaza, excluding fuel.

Alan Duncan: According to the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 924 truckloads of goods entered Gaza through Kerem Shalom in the period 8 to 12 August. The highest daily amount entering Gaza was 211 truckloads on 9 August. Since the beginning of August Israel has expanded the import capacity of Kerem Shalom to 250 truckloads. However there is currently no capacity for processing exports.
	Data on import volumes entering Gaza are published online by the UN at
	http://www.ochaopt.org/GazaCrossings.aspx?id=1010003

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the levels of access to Gaza for workers and for the import of humanitarian goods since Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcements of 20 June and 5 July 2010.

Alan Duncan: Since the announcements made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported an increase in the amount of goods entering Gaza, including humanitarian goods.
	Humanitarian organisations continue to report delays in processing approvals for a number of items needed for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of vital infrastructure. Difficulties in obtaining the necessary visas or permits for the staff of humanitarian organisations to enter or leave Gaza have also been reported.
	The UK is funding a United Nations team to work with the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, UN agencies and aid agencies to facilitate the transfer of goods and the movement of humanitarian workers.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had in the United Nations on his Department's contribution to the costs incurred by UN agencies in  (a) providing food and other humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza and  (b) transporting goods to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing since June 2007.

Alan Duncan: Neither the Secretary of State nor I have had discussions in the United Nations (UN) about the Department of International Development's (DFID) contribution to costs incurred by UN agencies in the provision of aid to Gaza, or for transporting aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
	DFID funds a UN team who help co-ordinate and facilitate the movement of aid and other necessary items into Gaza to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

International Assistance: Climate Change

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will discuss with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury the continuation of the policy of the previous administration that not more than 10 per cent. of development assistance be used in respect of climate change.

Andrew Mitchell: Our position on climate finance is clear. Fast Start finance, covering 2010-12, will come out of Official Development Assistance (ODA), as committed by the previous Government. Climate finance beyond this period is to be determined as part of the UK's comprehensive spending review (CSR), which will report in the autumn.

Overseas Aid

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of reported official development assistance was spent by Government departments other than his Department in each year since 1997.

Andrew Mitchell: The percentage of Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided by Government Departments other than the Department for International Development (DFID) in each year since 1997 is provided in the following table. This includes contributions from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence to the Conflict Pool, which is managed jointly by these Departments and DFID. Figures for 2009 also include a contribution from the Department of Energy and Climate Change to the Environmental Transformation Fund, which is also managed jointly with DFID.
	
		
			   Percentage ODA 
			 1997 2.6 
			 1998 2.1 
			 1999 2.1 
			 2000 2.5 
			 2001 2.3 
			 2002 2.2 
			 2003 2.9 
			 2004 3.2 
			 2005 2.3 
			 2006 2.9 
			 2007 3.9 
			 2008 4.8 
			 2009(1) 6.9 
			 (1) 2009 figures are provisional. Final figures will be published in Statistics on International Development 2010.

Overseas Trade

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to publish a new strategy on trade and development.

Andrew Mitchell: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is developing a White Paper on trade. I will be working closely with him and with Lord Brittan, the Government's trade adviser, to ensure that this White Paper sets out an ambitious trade agenda that supports both UK businesses and wealth creation that advances global poverty reduction.

Overseas Trade

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to retain the joint Department for International Development and Business, Innovation and Skills Trade Unit.

Andrew Mitchell: The Government will retain and strengthen the joint Department for International Development (DFID) and Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Trade Policy Unit.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by his Department for use by trade unions in each year since 1997.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID) annual publication "Statistics on International Development" (SID) gives details of DFID expenditure through civil society organisations, including trade unions. Details are in the following link:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications1/sid%202009/Table%2019.xls
	Details of payments to civil society organisations for previous years can be found in back copies of SID, available in the House of Commons Library.
	Similar information in relation to payments made in 2009-10 will be released in the new edition of Statistics in International Development, to be published in the autumn. Summary details of current DFID-funded projects are published on the Department's website:
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
	DFID provides one room for use by our full-time trade union official in our East Kilbride office and another room is available if required for trade union business in our London office.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not collate this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	DFID follows the ACAS code of practice "Time off for Trade Union Duties and Activities".

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not collate this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	DFID has one full-time member of staff allocated to trade union activities under a "facility time" agreement. This member of staff represents the departmental trade union side and members of both the First Division Association (FDA) and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS). In 2008-09 the salary of that staff member was in the range £25,000 to £30,000 a year; and in 2009-10 it was in the range of £30,000 to £35,000 a year.
	DFID has three other staff who are elected trade union representatives. However, these individuals only spend a minimal amount of time on trade union activity. Details are recorded by line managers and are not collated centrally.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Allowances

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on  (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and  (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in each year since 1997.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	However, the amount spent on the reimbursement of staff expenses for the period from 12 April 2010 to 31 July 2010 for the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its Executive NDPB, is £59,445.
	The 10 largest individual staff expense reimbursement claims within the aforementioned period are listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Claim  £ 
			 1 806.48 
			 2 706.15 
			 3 693.40 
			 4 689.84 
			 5 650.70 
			 6 638.10 
			 7 604.11 
			 8 603.15 
			 9 601.71 
			 10 599.20

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	In the period since 12 April 2010, neither the Department nor its non-departmental public body has sold any buildings or land.

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) made the following percentage of payments to suppliers within 10 days of receipt of invoice:
	
		
			  Month  Percentage 
			 July 2010 96 
			 August 2010 (1)- 
			 (1) Not currently available. 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide the requested information in relation to August 2010.

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much office space per employee his Department occupied in each year since 1997.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	In the period since 12 April 2010, the core Department occupied approximately 12.35 square metres of office space per employee in its offices in Belfast and London.

Departmental Consultants

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) average and  (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	Since 12 April 2010, the Northern Ireland Office has made no payments for consultancy services.

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	In the period since 12 April, the Department has not spent any money on vacant properties.

Departmental Fines

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each year.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	In the period since 12 April 2010, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) did not settle any transport-related fines on behalf of its staff.

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many chairs his Department has purchased in each year since 1997; how much it spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	In the period since 12 April 2010, the Department has not purchased any new chairs.

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	In the period since 12 April, the Department has not abandoned any IT contracts.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	It is not possible to provide an accurate figure for planned expenditure during this financial year as the amount will depend on variants such as staffing changes which cannot be accurately predicted at this time.
	We do however estimate that the cost of pension contributions for 2010-11 could be approximately £2.04 million for the Department and all of its sponsored bodies.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	In the period since 12 April 2010 to the end of July, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has spent a total of £547,754 on property rental. Of this amount, £133,129 was spent on properties in Belfast and £414,625 on properties in London.

Departmental Training

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such course.

Owen Paterson: From 12 April to 31 August 2010, two members of staff have attended external training courses at a cost of £746.63.
	For the period 1 September 2009 to 11 April 2010, comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	From 12 April 2010 to 31 July 2010, the Department has spent £3,587 on taxi fares.
	These figures exclude taxi fares paid by employees and reimbursed as miscellaneous expenses. These costs can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) keeps the cost of travel on official business under regular review. Departmental guidance requires all staff to use the most efficient means of transport.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	Since 12 April, the Department has spent £360.61 on wine.

JUSTICE

Civil Litigation Costs Review

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to complete his assessment of the implications of the principal recommendations of the report by Lord Justice Jackson on civil litigation costs; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government are very grateful to Lord Justice Jackson for his comprehensive report which makes a broad range of significant recommendations for reducing costs in the civil justice system. As I announced to the House on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 68WS, we will be consulting in the autumn on implementing Lord Justice Jackson's recommendations on the reform of funding arrangements. This will include in particular the recommendations on the significant reform of conditional fee agreements (CFAs) and other related proposals. The Government are taking these proposals forward as a matter of priority.

Prisoners: Video Games

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners have  (a) gaming consoles and  (b) digital televisions in their cells; and what channels are available to prisoners with televisions in their cells;
	(2)  what guidance his Department provides to prisons about the eligibility of prisoners in each category to have access to  (a) Sky,  (b) digital television and  (c) gaming consoles in their cells.

Crispin Blunt: The number of prisoners who have gaming consoles in their cells is not held centrally and could be found only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 23 July 2008, no public money has been used to purchase games consoles or games. A one-off survey in 2008 identified that at that time over 11,000 prisoners had games consoles in their possession. This figure has not been updated since then and there are no plans to do so now that no consoles are provided at public expense.
	Only prisoners on the enhanced level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme are allowed to have in possession or to use games consoles that have been purchased with their own money or given to them by family or friends. The current policy is set out in PSI 32/2008: Restricting Prisoner Access to Games Consoles which is available in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Access to in-cell television is one of the key earnable privileges of the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme. PSO 4000 Incentives and Earned Privileges sets out the current policy and is available in the Libraries of both Houses. Prisoners pay a rental charge for their television sets. Prisoners who do not reach the standards of behaviour expected lose their right to in-cell television.
	No prisoners have digital televisions sets in their cells. In line with the rest of the population, prisons are preparing for the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting. In the 62 establishments where digital channels are available, and where prisoners have earned Standard or Enhanced Privileges under the IEP scheme, prisoners have access to nine free-to-view channels in-cell. These are BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky News Sport (E4 in female prisons), ITV3, VIVA and Film 4. Governors have discretion to change any of these channels to other free-to-view channels if they wish.
	In addition a number of prisoners have non-subscription set top boxes bought with their own money. However, in October 2006, public sector prisons were instructed that no new set top boxes were to be allowed as they will not operate with the digital head-end conversion system, although existing ones could remain until the digital equipment was installed.
	No prisoners in public sector prisons have satellite television in their cells. It is available in association areas only in two public sector prisons. In contracted prisons, approximately 4,070 prisoners had access to satellite TV in their cells as of 10 December 2009.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of outstanding claims under the single payment scheme in each year of the operation of that scheme has been paid to claimants in the form of an advance.

James Paice: The information is not readily accessible and I will write with the information when it is available, with a copy being placed in the House Library.

Crime: Dogs

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to reduce the use of attack dogs in criminal activity.

James Paice: The Government take the matter of dangerous dogs very seriously. A public consultation on dangerous dogs legislation closed on 1 June 2010. We are currently analysing the responses and will make an announcement about the way ahead in due course.

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) her Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which her Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Richard Benyon: A table listing the freehold property interests that have been sold by (i) the Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies since 2005, the sale price and the body to which the receipt accrued, has been placed in the House Library.
	This is a consolidated response for DEFRA, including its executive agencies, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and Natural England.

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much office space per employee her Department and its predecessor occupied in each year since 1997.

Richard Benyon: The amount of office space occupied per employee as measured by the mandated Office of Government Commerce Property Benchmarking exercise for DEFRA, for the years from 2004 is as follows. These figures include (from 2007-08) data for Natural England, one of our NDPBs, which is included in the OGC data.
	
		
			   Square metre 
			 2009-10 13.25 
			 2008-09 12.70 
			 2007-08 13.60 
			 2006-07 12.70 
			 2005-06 16.20 
			 2004-05 14.80

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessor spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has spent the following amounts on wholly vacant property that have been vacant for in excess of six months: £3,907,506 (2007-08); £5,548,874 (2008-09); £6,601,935(2009-10).
	DEFRA is unable to supply the vacant property costs for the financial years prior to 2007-08 without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) her Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which she is responsible in each region of England in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Richard Benyon: The cost of pension contributions incurred by the Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three financial years and planned expenditure for 2010-11 is shown in the following table. It has not been possible to split costs by each of the English Regions as this information is not held centrally and would be available only at disproportionate cost. Data are provided for those non-departmental public bodies that are required to submit a pay remit to the core-Department. Data for DEFRA's other NDPBs are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Organisation  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Core-DEFRA 25,321,000 22,757,000 19,192,000 16,600,000 
			  Executive Agencies: 
			 Animal Health 8,940,000 8,789,000 8,728,000 7,997,000 
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate 959,000 989,000 1,019,000 1,001,000 
			 Rural Payments Agency 12,900,000 13,400,000 12,600,000 11,100,000 
			 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 6,106,000 6,075,000 5,965,000 5,906,000 
			 Food and Environment Research Agency 3,227,000 4,359,000 4,413,000 5,017,000 
			 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science 2,777,000 2,855,000 2,829,000 2,873,000 
			  Non- departmental public bodie s: 
			 Commission for Rural Communities 489,000 431,000 523,000 523,000 
			 Marine Management Organisation n/a n/a n/a 1,294,000 
			 Sustainable Development Commission n/a n/a 319,000 319,000 
			 Consumer Council for Water 350,000 364,000 382,000 372,000 
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority 285,000 317,000 337,000 434,000 
			 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 3,043,000 3,115,000 3,175,000 3,175,000 
			 Natural England 12,806,000 13,553,000 13,789,000 13,789,000 
			 Environment Agency 48,400,000 53,100,000 53,800,000 53,100,000 
			 Joint Nature Conservation Committee 695,000 711,000 731,000 762,000 
		
	
	The Marine Management Organisation was created as a non-departmental public body on 1 April 2010. Prior to this the organisation's staff were part of the core-Department and their pension contributions are included in core-DEFRA figures.
	The Sustainable Development Commission was created as a non-departmental public body on 1 April 2009. Prior to this the organisation's staff were part of the core-Department and their pension contributions are included in core-DEFRA figures.
	The Food and Environment Research Agency was created on 1 April 2009. Data prior to this relate to the former Central Science Laboratory.
	Planed expenditure on pensions contributions for 2010-11 is based on each organisation's current staff profile.

Departmental Public Bodies

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with public bodies within her Department's area of responsibility on the proposals to be contained in the Public Bodies (Reform) Bill.

Richard Benyon: The Government are committed to increasing the accountability of public bodies and reducing their number and cost. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has announced to Parliament a number of changes to the DEFRA delivery landscape. Ministers and officials from this Department have an ongoing dialogue with other Government Departments and DEFRA's delivery network including our arms-length bodies.
	Discussions are taking place across Government about the appropriate means of effecting these changes and to inform planning. The Government expect to make an announcement on the proposed Public Bodies (Reform) Bill in the autumn.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid by her Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA paid the following amounts for the rental of property in each of the last five years in each of the categories requested above. This return includes Core DEFRA and Natural England.
	 (a) Total rent payable for DEFRA properties for past five years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total rent payable (£) 
			 2006-07 40,425,491 
			 2007-08 41,637,039 
			 2008-09 43,915,886 
			 2009-10 43,798,400 
			 2010-11 38,573,256 
		
	
	(b) (i) Total rent payable per Government Office Region for past five years.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Region  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 East Midlands 210,213 216,513 228,363 227,752 200,581 
			 East of England 6,346,802 6,537,015 6,894,794 6,876,349 6,056,001 
			 London 19,121,257 19,694,319 20,772,214 20,716,643 18,245,150 
			 North East 1,370,424 1,411,496 1,488,749 1,484,766 1,307,633 
			 North West 396,170 408,043 430,376 429,224 378,018 
			 Scotland 153,617 158,221 166,880 166,434 146,578 
			 South East 4,984,463 5,133,847 5,414,829 5,400,343 4,756,082 
			 South West 2,409,359 2,481,567 2,617,387 2,610,385 2,298,966 
			 Wales 270,851 278,968 294,236 293,449 258,441 
			 West Midlands 335,532 345,587 364,502 363,527 320,158 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,826,804 4,971,462 5,243,557 5,229,529 4,605,647 
		
	
	(b) (ii) Total rent payable per country for past five years.
	
		
			  Total rent payable 
			  £ 
			  Financial year  England  Wales  Scotland 
			 2006-07 40,001,024 270,851 153,617 
			 2007-08 41,199,850 278,968 158,221 
			 2008-09 43,454,769 294,236 166,880 
			 2009-10 43,338,517 293,449 166,434 
			 2010-11 38,168,237 258,441 146,578 
		
	
	(c) Total rent payable for properties in London for past five years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total rent payable (£) 
			 2006-07 19,121,257.47 
			 2007-08 19,694,319.22 
			 2008-09 20,772,213.87 
			 2009-10 20,716,643.34 
			 2010-11 18,245,150.02

Garages and Petrol Stations: Rural Areas

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department monitors the number of petrol outlets in rural areas.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not collect this information, but the Commission for Rural Communities has commissioned independent analytical advice.
	Their latest figures show:
	In 2010, 34% of petrol stations are in rural areas (2,294 out of a total of 6,849).
	Since 2009, the number of petrol stations decreased by 8% in rural areas and 4% in urban areas (5% in England).
	In 2000, 81% of rural households were within 4km of a petrol station by road. In 2010, the percentage was 74%.

Inland Waterways

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will issue guidance to local authorities on responsibilities for the clearance and maintenance of waterways.

Richard Benyon: No. Local authorities that are navigation authorities are responsible for the operation and maintenance of waterways in their care. Where waterways are the responsibility of other navigation authorities, as is usually the case, local authorities can, according to their own priorities, choose to work in partnership with the navigation authority on issues such as the clearance of litter and debris alongside waterways.
	In addition the Environment Agency has the power, in connection with a main river, to maintain any watercourse in a due state of efficiency where it deems it necessary to remove debris for the purpose of alleviating flood risk .

Inland Waterways: Leeds

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the Leeds and Liverpool Canal remains open; and if she will allocate funding to increase the level of maintenance of that canal.

Richard Benyon: Allocation of funding for the maintenance of the Leeds and Liverpool canal is a matter for British Waterways, which maintains its waterways using a risk based approach in order to ensure that its network remains in a reasonable and safe condition.
	The present primary closure is due to severe drought causing depletion of the reservoirs feeding the canal, and British Waterways is doing all it can to conserve water levels. It will reopen the canal as soon as sufficient water supplies become available.

Private Roads: Almondbank

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to her Department's letter, ref mc178586, dated 19 April 2010, what progress has been made on discussions with the Scottish Executive on matters relating to the transfer of the solum of the roadway to Site 6 at Almondbank.

Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 July 2010,  Official Report, column 856W.

Private Roads: Almondbank

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to her Department's letter, ref mc167191/rt, dated 3 February 2010, what progress has been made on discussions with the Scottish Ministers on the issue of maintenance burdens on estate roads within the site 5/6 complex at Almondbank.

Richard Benyon: While the principle of release of maintenance burdens has been communicated to the Scottish Executive, there are currently no ongoing discussions in respect of the maintenance burdens associated with the estates roads serving Sites 5 & 6 Almondbank, Perthshire.

Sustainable Development Commission

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she held with the  (a) Scottish Executive,  (b) Welsh Assembly Government and  (c) Northern Ireland Assembly Government in advance of the announcement to reduce the level of funding to the Sustainable Development Commission.

James Paice: The Secretary of State wrote to the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on 14 July 2010 to inform them that she was planning to announce on 22 July 2010 that she would be withdrawing funding for the Sustainable Development Commission. All of the Ministers replied to the letter.
	The Secretary of State also had a phone conversation on 19 July 2010 with the Welsh Assembly Government's Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing to discuss the decision and future arrangements.

Whales: Conservation

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will assess the merits requiring fishermen to take steps to reduce the number of dolphins and porpoises killed as by-catch by means of  (a) changes to net design and  (b) the fitting of an acoustic deterrent to fishing craft; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she made of the number of  (a) dolphins and  (b) porpoises killed as bycatch in the last 12 months; what steps she is taking to reduce the level of cetacean by-catch; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: In 2009, our detailed monitoring programme indicated by-catch mortality figures of 260 common dolphins and 620 harbour porpoises in UK Waters.
	The UK is committed to avoiding the by-catch of cetaceans wherever possible. We have and continue to undertake focused research and monitoring programmes to better understand, and so reduce, the incidental by-catch of cetaceans.
	In terms of net design, as part of a five-year research contract between the Sea Mammal Research Unit and DEFRA that ended in 2008, research was conducted into modifications to fishing gear to reduce the by-catch of small cetaceans. This research produced inconclusive results, and highlighted the need to focus effort on developing more effective deterrents to prevent capture, such as acoustic devices.
	The focus of our current research and monitoring is, therefore, to identify those fisheries responsible for high levels of cetacean by-catch, and to test acoustic deterrents that are effective at preventing cetacean bycatch in these fisheries. We are committed to finding an acoustic deterrent that is both safe for fishermen to use, and effective at deterring cetaceans from fishing gear, and eagerly await the results of this research, due in April next year.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of UK carbon dioxide contribution emissions attributable to  (a) aviation,  (b) road vehicles,  (c) power stations,  (d) industry and  (e) domestic households.

Gregory Barker: The most recent year for which emissions estimates are available is 2008. These estimates were published as National Statistics on 25 March 2010.
	The proportion of UK carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the sectors in question can be found in the following table. It should be noted that the figures for aviation represent domestic aviation only. We do produce an estimate of emissions from international aviation, but since there is no agreed international approach to doing so, these emissions are not included in the UK total.
	
		
			  Carbon dioxide emissions-by end-user sector 
			  Sector  CO 2  emissions (Mt)  Percentage of total 
			 Domestic aviation 2.4 0.4 
			 Road transport 131.4 24.7 
			 Power stations - - 
			 Business/industrial process 198.8 37.3 
			 Residential 145.7 27.3 
			 Other sectors 54.5 10.2 
			 Total 532.8 100.0 
		
	
	Carbon dioxide emissions from power stations totalled 173.2 Mt for the year (32.5% of total carbon dioxide emissions); these have been attributed to other "end-user" sectors in the table.
	For further information, please see the following link.
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/climate_change/gg_emissions/uk_emissions/uk_emissions.aspx

Carbon Emissions: ICT

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual amount of carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the IT industry.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not hold any data specifically in respect of emissions from the IT industry.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what regard he has to pay scales for police forces set by the Secretary of State for the Home Department in establishing pay policy for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Pay policy for the CNC is the responsibility of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA), a non-departmental public body for which my Department is responsible.
	CNC police officer pay scales and other terms and conditions are linked to relevant Home Office police terms and conditions, and remuneration is determined by the established link with the outcome of negotiations for the police negotiating body structure for Home Office Forces. The original principles determining the basic pay of members of CNC (up to and including Chief Superintendent ranks) is that it is linked to the pay of corresponding members of the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) which, in turn, is linked to that of Home Office Police taking account of the 95% weighting (i.e. MDP and CNC pay is set at 95% of Home Office Police force pay). Ranks above Chief Superintendent i.e. Chief Police Officer ranks have personally negotiated contracts that are aligned to Level 1.0 of the Police Negotiating Board agreed Chief Officer pay scales.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the strategic direction of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers and officials meet representatives of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the Civil Nuclear Police Authority on a regular basis to discuss the performance and strategic direction of the Constabulary.
	DECC Ministers and officials work closely with relevant Government Departments on matters relating to the strategic direction and operation of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, including the Home Office, given its wider responsibilities for national security, counter terrorism and policing.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the safety of UK  (a) nuclear sites and  (b) nuclear materials.

Charles Hendry: The Government's policy is to secure the protection of people and society from the hazards of the nuclear industry by ensuring an appropriate regulatory framework is in place and by ensuring compliance with that framework through the actions of the health and safety regulator (the Health and Safety Executive). It is also the Government's policy to influence the nuclear sector to strive for continuous improvement in its health, safety and security performance.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what arrangements there are for the  (a) oversight,  (b) regulation and  (c) strategic direction of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.

Charles Hendry: The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is responsible for operational policing to meet the regulatory requirements to protect UK civil nuclear installations and nuclear material during transport, it is the executive arm of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA), a non-departmental public body for which DECC is responsible.
	The CNPA was set up by the Energy Act 2004 and came into being in April 2005. Its role is to "secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective constabulary" and the primary function of the CNC is to protect civil licensed nuclear sites and safeguard nuclear material during transport in the UK and elsewhere.
	The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) sets the regulatory requirements for the security of UK nuclear installations through the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (as amended). OCNS does so on the basis of the Nuclear Industries Malicious Capabilities (Planning) Assumptions (NIMCA) and assesses the vulnerabilities of individual civil nuclear installations, agreeing site security plans with holders of nuclear material and transport plans and the testing security arrangements at sites through exercises. These plans will include the role of the CNC at the sites where they are deployed.
	In addition, the CNC is subject to inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. The CNPA is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the CNC. Under the Energy Act 2004, it is required to publish a Strategic Policing Plan each year setting out the Police Authority's medium and long-term strategies for policing by the Constabulary during the three year period beginning with that year. This plan must be sent to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
	DECC Ministers and officials meet representatives of the CNC, CNPA and OCNS on a regular basis to discuss the performance and strategic direction of the Constabulary and the wider issues of ensuring there is a robust framework for civil nuclear security in the UK.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what arrangements exist between  (a) his Department,  (b) the Home Department,  (c) the Health and Safety Executive and  (d) the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills on the operation of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.

Charles Hendry: DECC works closely with relevant Government Departments on matters relating to the operation of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, including the Home Office, given its wider responsibilities for national security, counter terrorism and policing. DECC also works as appropriate with the Health and Safety Executive, which regulates civil nuclear security, on matters relating to civil nuclear security, including the policing of civil nuclear sites. DECC works with other Departments as appropriate, including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which has a more limited interest via the Shareholder Executive's role with regard to those sites owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority where the Civil Nuclear Constabulary operates.

Departmental Allowances

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on  (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and  (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in each year since its creation.

Gregory Barker: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Since its creation on 3 October 2008, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has spent on reimbursement of staff expenses as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2010-11 340,408 
			 2008-09 642,097 
			 2009-10 200,142 
		
	
	 (b) The 10 largest staff reimbursement claims by value are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-09 4,060.15 
			  2,862.65 
			  2,104.94 
			  2,090.27 
			  2,012.49 
			  1,909.03 
			  1,875.04 
			  1,505.87 
			  1,438.91 
			  1,386.64 
			   
			 2009-10 6,396.00 
			  5,308.00 
			  3,669.12 
			  3,096.77 
			  2,855.33 
			  2,603.24 
			  2,516.20 
			  2,407.67 
			  2,396.46 
			  2,192.48 
			   
			 2010-11 5,133.58 
			  4,840.23 
			  3,924.05 
			  3,846.44 
			  3,775.04 
			  2,809.21 
			  2,616.91 
			  2,186.57 
			  1,584.71 
			  1,562.49

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Gregory Barker: The information requested is as follows:
	(i) The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not own land and buildings.
	(ii) The Department is responsible for four non departmental public bodies of which the Committee on Climate Change and the Civil Nuclear Police Authority have not disposed any former buildings or land since May 2005.
	Land and Buildings disposed by the Coal Authority and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority are shown in the following table.
	The buildings that the NDA has sold since May 2005 are:
	
		
			   Address  Sale value (£) 
			 2009 Northbanks House, Thurso, Caithness 360,000 
			 2009 Peakes Cottage, Bradwell, Essex 603,000 
			 2008 Gridyard, Capenhurst, Cheshire 205,000 
			 2010 Redundant Breakheart Quarry, Gloucestershire 0 
			 2010 Sports and Social Club, Springfields, Lancashire 198,000 
			 2006 Depot, Littlebrook, Kent 350,000 
			 2010 Springfields Nuclear Site (1)- 
			 (1) Not sold-transferred on a long lease, including staff and pensions liability. 
		
	
	Land NDA has sold since May 2005 is:
	
		
			   Address  Sale value (£) 
			 2009 Potential development land at Bradwell, Essex 160,000,000 
			  Note: Above are subject to commercial confidentiality clauses. 
		
	
	The buildings that the Coal Authority has sold since May 2005 are:
	
		
			  Date  Address  Sale value (£) 
			 25 July 2006 146 Holcombe Drive, Burnley, Lancashire 70,300.00 
			 13 November 2006 Shaftholme Pumping Station, Shaftholme Road, Shaftholme, Doncaster, South Yorkshire 1.00 
			 22 January 2007 The former Clipstone Colliery pit head baths and canteen, Clipstone, Notts 1,028,808.00 
			 06 March 2007 22 Jamphlars Road, Cardenden, Fife 500.00 
			 07 March 2008 Caerphilly Tar Plant, Caerphilly, South Wales 1.00 
			 08 April 2008 2 Amorys Holt Close, Maltby, Yorks 34,000.00 
			 14 April 2008 3 Pentwyn Terrace, Crumlin, Newport, Gwent 10,000.00 
			 26 May 2008 2 Hawthorne Avenue, Coalsnaughton, Tillicoultry, 10,000.00 
			 14 October 2008 Askern Hydro-Site of Alexander House/Doncaster Rural Trust Youth Centre 0.00 
			 20 October 2008 145 Torbothie Road, Shotts, Lanarkshire ML7 5NB 1,000.00 
			 17 June 2010 Maesteg Washery, Maesteg, Bridgend County Borough (See also LTAF 2001) 170,000.00 
		
	
	Land that the Coal Authority has sold since May 2005 is:
	
		
			  Date  Address  Sale value 
			 12 May 2005 Land at Bryn Dolwen and Llanfabon Drive, Bedwas, Caerphilly 1.00 
			 24 May 2005 Cuttlehill Farm (The Taft), Crossgates, Fife 150,000.00 
			 22 July 2005 Disposal former Bolsover Colliery Tips, Woodhouse Lane, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire 260,157.00 
			 16 August 2005 Land rear of 70 Benhar Read, Shott's, Lanarkshire 1,000:00 
			 5 October 2005 Former Ystrad Mine, Glanamman,-Ammanford, Carmarthenshire 4,000.00 
			 22 November 2005 Land to the West of Newark Road, Ollerton at the former Ollerton Colliery site Notts. 0.00 
			 24 November 2005 Park Hall Road, Denby, Ripley, Derbyshire (Part of the former Denby Hall Colliery site) 4,000.00 
			 29 November 2005 Two sections of track at Polbower, Kirkconnel, Sanquahar, Dumfriesshire 0.00 
			 l December 2005 Land at Polkemmet Minewater Treatment Facility, Whitburn, West Lothian 40,000.00 
			 2 December 2005 Land at the rear of Corporation House, Corporation Road, Loughor, Swansea 500.00 
			 5 December 2005 150m(2) or thereabouts of land situate within the curtilage of 46 Westfield Lane, Kippax, Leeds, West Yorkshire 0.00 
			 8 December 2005 Deed of surrender, Pipeline at Station Road, Shiremoor, Co Durham 0.00 
			 2 February 2006 Land adjacent to 63 High Street, Swallownest, Sheffield, South Yorkshire 1.00 
			 17 February 2006 Land at Rosehill, Standburn Road, Avonbridge, Falkirk, Stirlingshire 5,000.00 
			 8 March 2006 Land at Derran Drive/Bridgend Place/The Craigs 4,400.00 
			 12 April 2006 Land at Manchester Road West, Little Hulton, Greater Manchester, Lancashire 15,000.00 
			 22 May 2006 Access road No. 32 and 32a Douglas Street, Carluke, Lanarkshire 2,300.00 
			 25 May 2006 Site of Brierley Industrial Park, Stoneyford Road, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottingham 13,500.00 
			 l July 2006 Frances Colliery, Dysart, Kirkcaldy, Fife 11,500.00 
			 18 August 2006 Disposal land at Nantgarw, near Caerphilly 10,000.00 
			 23 October 2006 Land at the former Maypole Colliery, off Park Lane, Abram, Wigan, Lancashire 50,000.00 
			 23 October 2006 Land at the former Maypole Colliery, off Park Lane, Abram, Wigan, Lancashire (Supplementary toLTAFDoc.No.1727) 0.00 
			 21 November 2006 Land off Rotherham Road, New Houghton, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire 30,000.00 
			 27 November 2006 Site of the former Whitwell Colliery Spoil Heap, Whitwell, Derbyshire 0.00 
			 1 December 2006 Plot 3 Cardiff Road, Aberaman, Aberdare 20,000.00 
			 20 December 2006 Land at Taff Merthyr Garden Village (Land omitted from previous sales before privatisation therefore would not have transferred under CARS7) 1.00 
			 21 December 2006 Lots 1 to 6 at the former Erownlees Opencast Site, Brindley Ford, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire 169,000.00 
			 11 January 2007 Land situated off Berry Hill Lane Berry Hill, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire 390,000.00 
			 5 February 2007 Land at Hengoed Avenue, Crfn Hengoed, Hengoed, Mid Glamorgan 1,500.00 
			 13 February 2007 Land at Whittlebrook Reservoir, rear of 98 Hopefold Drive 1,080,00 
			 19 February 2007 Land at Whittlebrook Reservoir, rear of 92 Hopefold Drive 1,180.00 
			 l March 2007 0.572 acre or thereabouts of land, being part of the former Warsop Colliery access road at Warsop Vale, Mansfield 196,196.00 
			 l March 2007 0.03 acre or thereabouts of land off Doncaster Road, Buckingham Road, Denaby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire 0.00 
			 l March 2007 Land at Whittlebrook Reservoir, rear of 90 Hopefold Drive 2,840.00 
			 14 March 2007 Land at Whittlebrook Reservoir, rear of 94 Hopefold Drive 880.00 
			 16 March 2007 Winstone Mine, Forgeside, Blaenavon 8,000.00 
			 15 May 2007 Land at Delves Lane, Consett, County Durham 20,000.00 
			 15 May 2007 Land at Lumley Sixth Pit, Woodstone Village, Fence Houses, Houghton-le-Spring 15,000.00 
			 6 July 2007 Land adjacent 18 Lawrence Street, Kelty, Fife KY4 OAB 250.00 
			 1 August 2007 Land at Kirk Road, Shotts, Lanarkshire 12,500.00 
			 16 August 2007 Land adjacent Hafod Tip, Wrexham 250.00 
			 10 December 2007 Land at Heol Brown, Ty Croes, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire 100.00 
			 11 January 2008 Land at Roman Way, Dordon, Tamworth, Staffordshire 22,500.00 
			 18 January 2008 Land at 8 Kirton Court, Kirton, Overton, Notts 600.00 
			 24 January 2008 Land off Westerton Road, Coundon 3,000.00 
			 29 January 2008 Land at South Stane Farm, Shorts, Lanarkshire 0.00 
			 15 February 2008 Land at Hill Street, Rhymney, Tredegar 45,000.00 
			 31 March 2008 0.0002 Ha or thereabouts of land off Shaftesbury Avenue, Keresley End, Coventry, Warwickshire 0.00 
			 7 April 2008 Camphill Estate, Nuneaton 0.00 
			 8 April 2008 Site of the former 14 and 16 Ivy House Lane, Bilston, West Midlands 46,000.00 
			 8 April 2008 Walkden Reservoir, Walkden, Worsley, Manchester, Lancashire 34,000.00 
			 8 April 2008 Land between 29 and 31 The Crescent, Sunnyside, Rotherham 72,000.00 
			 8 April 2008 Plots of the former 5-9 Brynhyfryd Street, Cwmnaman, Aberdare, South Wales 52,000.00 
			 4 Jun 2008 Torbothe Footpath, off Southfield Avenue, Torbothe, Shorts, Lanarkshire 0.00 
			 23 July 2008 Land adjoining Calverton Miners Welfare, Hollinwood Lane, Calverton, Nottinghamshire 1.00 
			 24 July 2008 Land at Coalville Estate, Weston Coyney, Stoke on Trent 1,000.00 
			 4 August 2008 Land adjoining Tyn y Wern, Ynysybwl, Pontypridd 250.00 
			 4 August 2008 Land adjacent to Glendale, Oakley, Fife, KYI2 9LA 4,500.00 
			 15 August 2008 Land at Golwg-y-Bryn, Severn Sisters, South Wales, (via auction-reserve value £5,000) 5,000.00 
			 15 August 2008 Land at Tonna Road, Nantyffyllon, South Wales (via auction-reserve value £30,000) 30,000.00 
			 1 September 2008 Allotments Gardens and Land at Terrace Lane, Pleasley, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire 7,000.00 
			 21 October 2008 Land at Tan-y-Coed Street, Penrhiwcerber, South Wales (via an auction held by Colliers CRE in London on 21 July 2008) 25,000.00 
			 28 October 2008 Land at Blackfaulds Road and Wardlow Street, Coalsnaughton, Clackmannanshire 300,000.00 
			 20 November 2008 Land to the West of Newark Rd, Ollerton at the Former Ollerton Colliery Site, Notts 0.00 
			 l December 2008 The site of 272 Cwmamman Road, Glanamman, Ammanford, SA18 2AF 6,000.00 
			 12 December 2008 Aber Farmlands, Ogmore Vale, Bridgend, South Wales 95,000.00 
			 12 December 2008 Land adjacent to No 11 South View, Mickley Square, Stocksfield 0.00 
			 12 January 2009 Land off The Leazes, Burnopfield, County Durham 0.00 
			 25 March 2009 Land at Sherwood Baths, Mansfield Woodhouse, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG19 7NL 0.00 
			 8 May 2009 0.085 Hectare of land being access to Woodside House, Bramcote, Waron, Tamworth, Staffordshire 1,111.00 
			 26 May 2009 Land at the rear of School Road, Banwen, Neath 0.00 
			 5 August 2009 Land at Beighton Sheffield 4,500.00 
			 24 September 2009 0.34 hectares or thereabouts being part of the land at Coach Road, Ripley, Derbyshire 3,000.00 
			 19 October 2009 Disposal Walkmill Lane Tip, off Walkmill Lane, Cannock, Staffordshire 25,000.00 
			 21 December 2009 Land At Ashby De La Zouch and Measham 51,124.00 
			 31 December 2009 West Main Street, Blackburn, West Lothian 1,500.00 
			 26 January 2010 Land at 4 Heol Graigwen, Penyrheol, Caerphilly 0.00 
			 10 May 2010 Land adjacent to Nottingham Road, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire 14,000.00 
			 17 Jun 2010 Additional strips of land at Maesteg Washery, Maesteg, Bridgend (See also LTAF 1914) 0.00 
		
	
	The value at current prices could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The income from disposals is normally credited to the Delegated Expenditure Limit (DEL) of the Department and reduces the requirement for funding by the Treasury. For two Coal Authority disposals totalling £218,300, the income from disposals originally funded from grant in aid was paid to the Treasury.

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much office space per employee his Department has occupied in each year since its creation.

Gregory Barker: DECC was formed in October 2008 and London based staff moved into the Department's headquarters, 3-8 Whitehall place, London, SW1A 2AW, between March and June 2009.
	The office space per employee (based on net internal area) for Whitehall place, London and Atholl house 86-88 Guild street, Aberdeen, AB11 6AR was 10.0 square metres at 1 June 2009 and 8.5 square metres at 1 June 2010.

Departmental Consultants

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the  (a) average and  (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department has been in each year since its inception.

Gregory Barker: The Department is unable to answer this question on the grounds that to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on vacant properties in each year since its creation.

Gregory Barker: The Department has had no vacant properties in its estate since it was created in October 2008.

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many chairs his Department has purchased since its creation; how much it spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Gregory Barker: DECC was formed in October 2008 and London based staff moved into the Department's headquarters, 3-8 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2AW, between March and June 2009.
	In financial year 2009-10 1,093 chairs were purchased by DECC.
	The total cost for the above chairs was £262,000 excluding VAT.
	The five most expensive chairs purchased were special chairs for staff required under health and safety advice. The cost of these were as follows: £953.04, £913.73, £909.27, £887.23, £857.22 excluding VAT.
	From April 2010 to date 25 chairs were purchased by DECC.
	The total cost to date is £8,500 excluding VAT.
	The five most expensive chairs purchased to date were special chairs for staff required under health and safety advice. The cost of these were as follows: £874.96, £848.52, £810.40, £802.25, £744.65 excluding VAT.

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which IT contracts awarded by his Department since its inception have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not abandoned any IT contracts.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the expenditure on vehicles of  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each region of England and (D) Northern Ireland was in the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not incurred any expenditure on vehicles since it was established on 3 October 2008 and does not plan to in 2010-11. The Department is responsible for four non-departmental public bodies which have incurred expenditure as follows:
	1. The Committee on Climate Change has spent nothing on vehicles since its inception on 26 November 2008 and has no plans to spend anything in 2010-11.
	2. The Coal Authority spent £190,592 in 2007/08, £186,019 in 2008/09, £193,639 in 2009-10 and the planned expenditure for 2010-11 is £234,220. The breakdown by regions can be provided only at disproportionate-cost.
	3. The expenditure incurred and planned by the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) by regions is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11  (p lanned ) 
			  CNPA 
			 Wales - 21,769 - - 
			 Scotland 70,234 65,520 45,394 209,000 
			 East Midlands-n/a - - - - 
			 East of England - 21,769 - - 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber - 45,688 - 23,000 
			 Greater London-n/a - - - - 
			 North East England-n/a - - - - 
			 North West England 145,645 210,118 69,751 178,000 
			 South East England 25,739  48,880 95,000 
			 South West England - 44,159 22,697 - 
			 West Midlands-n/a - - - - 
			 Northern Ireland-n/a - - - - 
			 Total 241,618 409,023 186,722 505,000 
			  
			  NDA 
			 Wales - - - - 
			 Scotland - - - - 
			 East Midlands-n/a - - - - 
			 East of England - - - - 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber - - - - 
			 Greater London-n/a - - - - 
			 North East England-n/a - - - - 
			 North West England 24,909 36,503 31,316 12,156 
			 South East England 3,324 3,324 3,267 3,256 
			 South West England - - - - 
			 West Midlands-n/a - - - - 
			 Northern Ireland-n/a - - - - 
			 Total 28,233 39,827 34,583 15,412

Departmental Pay

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what average hourly rate his Department has paid to each employment agency for agency staff in each year since its inception.

Gregory Barker: The Department is unable to answer this question on the grounds that to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each region of England and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Gregory Barker: Since its establishment on 3 October 2008, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has incurred pension contributions of £7,559,000 in 2008-09 and £8,639,000 in 2009-10. The projected cost for 2010-11 is £9,606,000.
	The pension contributions incurred in the last three years by non-departmental public bodies for which the Department is responsible are shown in the following table. The breakdown of costs by region and devolved Administration is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			  NDPB  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 (projected) 
			 The Committee on Climate Change (established on 26 November 2008) n/a 59,552 261,060 290,000 
			 The Coal Authority 957,071 1,043,397 1,042,530 1,067,345 
			 Civil Nuclear Police Authority 4,083,291 4,376,972 4,812,218 5,281,378 
			 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority 7,145,000 4,507,000 4,716,000 5,000,0000

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not paid any rent to third parties since it was formed in October 2008.

Electricity: Prices

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to reduce electricity prices for  (a) domestic and  (b) industrial consumers by 35 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Artificially reducing retail prices to levels below the competitive levels would be unsustainable, discourage investment in the low carbon infrastructure we require and put at risk our climate change objectives. What matters is that prices are set in a competitive market as a result of rivalry among a range of suppliers.
	Ofgem produce a quarterly update on the link between wholesale and retail energy prices precisely in order to increase levels of pricing transparency. The latest report showed the major suppliers have cut their prices in response to falling wholesale prices and that margins were lower than in the previous quarter. Ofgem has said that if suppliers stopped competing on price or domestic prices did not respond to a sustained fall in wholesale prices, it would look closely at the market.
	Competition is vital to keeping bills as low as possible. Ofgem continues working to reduce barriers to entering the retail market and is closely monitoring the wholesale market.

Energy: Meters

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that  (a) energy monitors displaying real time data on consumption are provided with each smart meter installation,  (b) smart meter customers are provided with information on using smart meters to reduce their (i) energy bills and (ii) carbon dioxide emissions and (c) consumers' energy data will (A) remain under the control of consumers and (B) be protected from misuse.

Charles Hendry: The Department and Ofgem are currently consulting on a range of smart metering proposals. These include proposals relating to consumer information, including in-home displays, and to data privacy and security. The proposals are contained in the Smart Metering Implementation Programme Prospectus and a number of supporting documents, published on 27 July 2010, and available at
	www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations

Energy: Prices

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals in the Energy and Green Economy Bill to ensure the provision of information on the costs transferred by energy suppliers to consumers.

Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to improving the transparency of energy bills and improving information to consumers to help them understand and control their energy costs and are currently considering the extent of the information that should be included. Ofgem have produced readily available factsheets explaining energy bills which give a breakdown of the costs that make up consumer bills. Some suppliers have chosen to include example cost breakdowns on bills to improve transparency and we would encourage this.
	In addition, we have recently published an analysis of the estimated impacts of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and bills, which provides further information on the costs of these policies. A copy of this is available online at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/What%20we%20do/UK%20energy%20supply/236-impacts-energy-climate-change-policies.pdf

Fuel Poverty: Wimbledon

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people in Wimbledon constituency were classified as living in fuel poverty in each year since 2000.

Gregory Barker: Fuel poverty is measured at household level rather than at individual level.
	The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were around 2,200 fuel poor households in the Wimbledon constituency. In 2003 there were around 2,100 fuel poor households in the Wimbledon constituency. The methodology used for the 2006 work differs from that previously used, so care should be taken in comparing the fuel poverty levels in one area between 2003 and 2006.
	Figures for other years are not available.

Human Tissue Analysis in UK Nuclear Facilities Inquiry

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 38W, on the Redfern Inquiry, when he expects to publish the Inquiry's report on human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities; and what the reason is for the time taken to publish the report.

Charles Hendry: It was originally the intention of DECC to publish the Redfern Inquiry report on human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities before the summer recess. However as we wish to publish the report as a parliamentary paper, the date of publication was dependent on the parliamentary timetable. The parliamentary timetable came under great pressure and it was therefore not possible to find a suitable time before recess. I now expect to publish the report after the House returns in the autumn.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many former mineworkers in  (a) Don Valley constituency,  (b) Doncaster and  (c) South Yorkshire have received coal health compensation scheme payments; and what the total sums paid were in each case.

Charles Hendry: The number of former miners in Don Valley, Doncaster and South Yorkshire who have received payments under the Coal Health Compensation schemes for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Vibration White Finger (VWF), together with compensation claims for other conditions and the amount paid in each of those areas is shown in the following table as at 25 July 2010.
	
		
			  Total claims and damages paid, less compensation recovery unit (CRU) to miners in the Don Valley, Doncaster and South Yorkshire constituencies 
			   Number of claims  Damages paid (£) 
			  Area  COPD  VWF  Other  COPD  VWF  Other 
			 Don Valley 8,1108 T.481 1,473 34,570,581 38,161,147 1,553,706 
			 Doncaster 34,859 14,807 6,148- 149,566,317 166,737,911 6,331,154 
			 South Yorkshire 54,697 22,072 9,448 224,448,470 238,661,148 9,963,020 
			  Notes: 1. Don Valley: (Don Valley) 2. Doncaster: (Barnsley East and Mexborough, Don Valley, Doncaster Central, Doncaster North). 3. South Yorkshire: (Don Valley, Doncaster Central, Doncaster North, Barnsley East and Mexborough, Wentworth, Rotherham, Rother Valley, Sheffield Hillsborough, Sheffield Heeley, Sheffield Hallam, Sheffield Brightside, Sheffield Attercliffe, Sheffield Central). 4. The figures show a small reduction to the data reported for VWF total damages in November 2009 (11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 517W). This was due to taking into account CRU payments where an issue was identified in a recent reconciliation exercise. Other movements are associated with data cleansing of claim numbers and/or changes of claimant addresses.

Nuclear Power: International Co-operation

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with which countries the UK has a nuclear co-operation agreement; what assistance the UK has provided to each such country under the terms of the agreement in each of the last five years; and at what cost to the public purse in each such case.

Charles Hendry: The UK currently has in force seven Nuclear Cooperation Agreements (NCAs) on the general application of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; these are with the USA, Russia, Japan, Jordan, China, South Korea and Romania. In addition, an NCA with the United Arab Emirates is expected to be signed in the autumn. NCAs are bilateral treaties designed to enable collaborative working between companies and agencies in both states covering civil nuclear trade and information exchange. Detailed records of any assistance provided are not kept centrally except where export licences are involved. The only cost to the public purse would be that spent on negotiating NCAs and as such would be considered part of normal civil service operating expenditure.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for future levels of public funding for renewable energy; if he will take steps to establish more co-ordinated and long-term funding for renewable technology; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: We are committed to securing a significant increase in investment in renewables both to meet the legally binding renewable energy target in 2020, and to meet our longer term decarbonisation objectives. The Government are currently conducting a detailed appraisal of the way the electricity market should be designed, to provide the necessary consistent, long term signals for investment. The coalition agreement makes clear our commitment to establish a full system of feed-in tariffs in electricity-as well as the maintenance of banded renewables obligation certificates (ROCs). We are also fully committed to taking action on renewable heat. We are considering responses to the renewable heat incentive (RHI) consultation and will set out detailed proposals on how we propose to take forward action on renewable heat through the spending review.
	The Low Carbon Innovation Group was established with the key aims of setting the strategic direction and coordinating funding for UK low carbon innovation, including renewables. I am co-chairing this group and membership will include the chief executives of the Carbon Trust, Technology Strategy Board, Energy Technologies Institute, research councils and departmental officials responsible for BIS and DECC low carbon innovation spend.
	Levels of future public funding are being considered as part of the spending review process.

Renewables Obligation

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department plans that renewable obligation certificates rates agreed when energy producers begin a new project should continue at a fixed rate for the life of the project.

Gregory Barker: With the exception of stations which:
	co-fire regular biomass;
	use bioliquids;
	use energy crops; or
	receive additional support for the use of CHP,
	all eligible renewable technologies will be grandfathered at the level of support they receive on accreditation.

Renewables Obligation

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will extend the renewables obligation scheme to other low-carbon sources of energy, including nuclear power.

Charles Hendry: As announced in the Annual Energy Statement on 27 July the Electricity Market Reform Project will issue a consultation document in the autumn. There, we will set out the Government's views on how to ensure low carbon, secure and affordable electricity over the coming decades. Any reform to the renewables obligation to include other sources of low carbon energy would be considered within that consultation document.

Sustainable Development: Finance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding his Department has provided to  (a) Transition Towns and  (b) other voluntary groups designed to increase sustainability through local activities in the last 12 months.

Gregory Barker: DECC has provided funding to Transition Towns and other community organisations over the last 12 months through the Low Carbon Communities Challenge (LCCC) and the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP).
	The LCCC is a two-year DECC-funded research programme providing financial and practical support for 22 "test-bed" communities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to test delivery options for achieving ambitious cuts in carbon emissions at community level. The first selected projects were appointed in December 2009.
	Of the 11 communities that have been provided with funding so far, seven are community based civil society organisations. One of these is Transition Town Totnes, which has been provided with £625,000 to support their project. The other six civil society-led organisations have been provided with a total of £2,593,000 in funding for their projects.
	The Low Carbon Buildings Programme-now closed to new applications-provides grants for installing microgeneration technologies and has provided funding for approximately 5,000 community-based projects over the last five years. In the financial year 2009-10, DECC provided £20.58 million in funding through the LCBP to projects such as housing associations, schools, churches, and other not-for-profit organisations, and the forecast expenditure for the financial year 2010-11 is £53.41 million.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on taxi fares in each year since its creation.

Gregory Barker: Since inception the expenditure on taxi fares incurred by Department of Energy and Climate Change is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2008-09(1) 56,032 
			 2009-10 73,946 
			 2010-11(2) 25,618 
			 (1 )Department created October 2008. (2) To end July 2010.

Warm Front Scheme

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on enabling small businesses to work as contractors on projects funded under the Warm Front scheme.

Gregory Barker: Installers are appointed to work on the Warm Front Scheme by Eaga, the scheme manager. An open, competitive tendering exercise was carried out in 2009 to appoint installers to the scheme to work across England. From time to time Eaga may select additional installers to work on the scheme, if supply is insufficient to meet demand.
	Contractors can apply to work as sub contractors to installation companies already approved to work on Warm Front and can register their interest with Eaga for any future tendering.

Warm Front Scheme

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the future of the Warm Front scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Warm Front continues to deliver heating and insulation work across England. We have taken the precautionary measure of making changes to the regulations governing the scheme to allow the scheme to temporarily stop taking new applications to prevent this year's budget being over committed.
	The future of Warm Front beyond March next year will be considered as part of the spending review.

Warm Front Scheme

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment his Department has made of the contribution of the Warm Front scheme to  (a) improving household energy efficiency and  (b) reducing fuel poverty.

Gregory Barker: The Warm Front Scheme tackles fuel poverty, enabling households to keep their homes warm at an affordable cost. Warm Front has assisted over 2.2 million households since the scheme's inception in 2000. On average, each household which received assistance from the scheme has the potential to save over £350 per annum during the lifetime of measures installed.
	Household energy efficiency is measured using the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) which rates on a scale of 1 to 100-the higher the number the better the rating. Households assisted by Warm Front in 2009-10 increased their SAP rating on average from 33 to 66.

Warm Front Scheme: South Yorkshire

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in Don Valley constituency have received an insulation measure through the Warm Front scheme since its inception.

Gregory Barker: Warm Front has assisted 823 households in the Don Valley constituency with insulation measures since its inception(1).
	(1) This figure is correct up to 17 August 2010.

Wind Power

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the efficiency and effectiveness of on-shore wind turbines in the last 10 years; how much electricity was generated by wind turbines in the last 12 months; and what the average cost per unit of electricity generated by each generating technology was in 2009.

Charles Hendry: The Department for Energy and Climate Change, and two of its predecessor departments (the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department of Trade and Industry) commissioned the following pieces of research containing information on the generation costs and efficiencies of electricity generation technologies, including onshore wind:
	ETSU (2002) New and Renewable Energy: Prospects in the UK for the 21st century: Supporting Analysis, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/policy/renew_obs/key_stages/ro_order_2002/ro_order_2002.aspx
	Oxera/ DTT (2004) Results of Renewable Energy Modelling, available at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewables/policy/oxeraresults.pdf
	Enviros (2005) The costs of supplying renewable energy, available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file21118.pdf
	Energy Strategies and Redpoint (2006), Dynamics of GB Generation Investment, available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file31799.pdf
	Ernst & Young (2007), Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation - Costs of electricity production, available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file39038.pdf
	Redpoint and Trilemma (2008), Implementation of the EU2020 Renewable Target in the UK Electricity Sector - Renewable Support Schemes, available here:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_res/rescon_support/rescon_support.aspx
	Redpoint and Trilemma (2009), Implementation of the EU2020 Renewable Target in the UK Electricity Sector - RO Reform, available here:
	http://decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/res/res.aspx
	Mott Macdonald (2010), UK Electricity Generation Costs Update, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Statistics/Projections/71-uk-electricity-generation-costs-update.pdf
	The Department does not formally evaluate the research of other organisations.
	The Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2010 reports that in 2009 7.6 TWh of electricity was generated by onshore wind and 1.7 TWh by offshore wind.
	The following tables are taken from Mott Macdonald (2010) and give levelised cost estimates (average generation cost per megawatt-hour) for new build plants in the main large-scale electricity generation technologies in the UK, at current engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract prices.
	It should be noted that for the purposes of presentation, the table only gives either 'FOAK' (first-of-a-kind) prices or 'NOAK' (nth-of-a-kind) prices for each technology. On offshore wind, for example, it shows offshore wind 'FOAK' prices, whereas the round 2 technology may be considered to have progressed towards 'NOAK' prices. Mott Macdonald estimate 'NOAK' offshore wind costs at £125/MWh (10% discount rate, 2009 project start at today's EPC prices).
	
		
			  Case 1: 10% discount rate, 2009 project start at today's EPC prices, with mixed FOAK/NOAK 
			  Levelised cost  Gas CC GT  Gas CCGT with CCS FOAK  ASC coal  ASC  c oal with CCS FOAK  Coal IGCC FOAK  Coal IGCC with CCS FOAK  Onshore wind  Offshore wind FOAK  Offshore wind R3 FOAK  Nuclear PWR. FOAK 
			 Capital Costs 12.4 29.8 33.4 74.1 61.7 82.0 79.2 124.1 144.6 77.3 
			 Fixed operating Coals 3.7 7.7 8.6 18.6 9.7 17.7 14.6 36.7 45.8 12.25 
			 Variable Operating Costs 2.3 3.6 2.2 4.7 3.4 4.6 __ __ __ 2.1 
			 Fuel Costs 46.9 65.0. 19.9 28.7 20.3 28.3 __ __ __ 5.3 
			 Carbon Costs 15.1 2.1 40.3 6.5 39.6 5.5 __ __ __ __ 
			 Decomm and waste fund __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 2.1 
			 CO2 transport and storage __ 4.3 __ 9.6 __ 9.5 __ __ __ __ 
			 Steam Revenue __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 
			 Total levelised cost 80.3 112.5 104.5 142.1 134.6 147.6 93.9 160.9 190.5. 99.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Case 1: 10% discount rate, 2009 project start at today's EPC prices, with mixed FOAK/NOAK 
			  Levelised Cost  Small business power only. FOAK  Large biomass power only. FOAK  OCGT  AD on wasted  Landfill gas  Sewage gas  Small biomass CHP. FOAK 
			 Capital Costs 55.8 46.1 7.1 63.8 25.8 42.0 91.3 
			 Fixed operating Coals 21.0 13.4 3.0 21.0 13.1 8.9 23.9 
			 Variable Operating Costs 2.5 2.5 1.5 18.6 21.1 2.1 2.8 
			 Fuel Costs 36.7 31.2 60.6 __ __ __ 54.9 
			 Carbon Costs __ __ 18.2 __ __ __ __ 
			 Decomm and waste fund __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 
			 CO2 transport and storage __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 
			 Steam Revenue __ __ __ __ __ __ 148.5 
			 Total levelised cost 116.0 93.2 90.5 103.3 60.0 54.0 172.9 
			 Net levelised cost __ __ __ __ __ __ 24.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Levelised Cost  Large biomass CHP. FOAK  10MW gas. CHP  Small GT based CHP  CCGT. CHP  Energy from waste  Hydro reservoir 
			 Capital Costs 86.8 17.2 15.1 14.3 94.9 74.2 
			 Fixed operating Coals 22.0 4.8 4.3 5.0 15.2 9.0 
			 Variable Operating Costs 2.4 2.4 2.4 1.9 56.7 - 
			 Fuel Costs 48.7 83.4 76.8 57.1 - - 
			 Carbon Costs - 25.5 23.5 18.5 - - 
			 Decomm and waste fund - - - - - - 
			 CO2 transport and storage - - - - - - 
			 Steam Revenue 135.0 56.6 45.2 27.2 - - 
			 Total levelised cost 160.0 133.4 122.1 96.7 166.8 83.2 
			 Net levelised cost 24.9 76.8 76.8 69.4 - -

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on wine in each year since its creation.

Gregory Barker: The Department has no record of any purchases of wine since it was created in October 2008.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will record figures for civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

Liam Fox: The UK Government do not collate or publish figures for civilian casualties in Afghanistan because of the immense difficulty and risks of collecting robust data. Every effort is made to avoid civilian casualties and any that are the result of action by UK armed forces are always a matter of profound regret.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many  (a) Reaper,  (b) Predator and  (c) Phoenix unmanned aerial vehicles were deployed by the armed forces in Afghanistan in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010;
	(2)  what estimate he has made on the number of  (a) Reaper,  (b) Predator,  (c) Watchkeeper and  (d) Phoenix unmanned aerial vehicles to be deployed by the armed forces in Afghanistan in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) 2015.

Liam Fox: In Afghanistan, UK forces have deployed Reaper, a remotely piloted air system (RPAS). They do not use Predator or Phoenix systems.
	We do not comment on the number of RPAS deployed or likely to deploy in Afghanistan. I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Air Force: Military Bases

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Ministry of Defence personnel and  (b) civilian staff were directly employed at (i) RAF Leuchars, (ii) RAF Kinloss and (iii) RAF Lossiemouth on the latest date for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The figures of personnel who are directly employed at RAF Leuchars, RAF Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Data as of April 2010 
			  Location  Personnel  Total( 1) 
			
			 Leuchars Civilian(2) 270 
			  Armed Forces(3) 980 
			
			 Kinloss Civilian(2) 310 
			  Armed Forces(3) 1,330 
			
			 Lossiemouth Civilian(2) 370 
			  Armed Forces(3) 1,810 
			 (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Due to ongoing validation of data from the Personnel Administration System, the armed forces figures are provisional. (2) The civilian figures include the Ministry of Defence (MOD) industrial and non-industrial staff, but do not include any staff not directly employed by the MOD, such as contractors. (3) The armed forces personnel figures include regulars and full-time reservists stationed at the bases, but may differ from the actual number of people working at that location at that time due to deployments etc.

Air Force: Military Bases

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been stopped and searched outside RAF  (a) Menwith Hill,  (b) Fylingdales,  (c) Mildenhall,  (d) Lakenheath,  (e) Feltwell,  (f) Fairford,  (g) Molesworth,  (h) Alconbury and  (i) Croughton in each year sine 2000.

Andrew Robathan: The number of people stopped and searched by the Ministry of Defence police (MDP) outside RAF Menwith Hill, Fylingdales, Mildenhall, Lakenheath, Feltwell, Fairford, Molesworth, Alconbury and Croughton in each year since 2004 are shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			   Menwith Hill  Fylingdales  Mildenhall  Lakenheath  Feltwell  Fairford  Molesworth  Alconbury  Croughton 
			 2004 2 (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2005 382 2 (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2006 186 (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2007 247 (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2008 98 (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 2009 103 (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 7 
			 2010 34 (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 (1 )None recorded 
		
	
	There are no recorded searches carried out prior to 2004. The records relate only to MDP incidents. Searches carried out outside the bases are primarily the responsibility of the local Home Office police forces, and they would retain their own records accordingly.

Aircraft Carriers

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has undertaken of the procurement processes for the  (a) Type 45 destroyers and  (b) Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers; what steps he plans to take in the light of that assessment to improve the procurement process for the Type 26 combat ship; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: In 2006, a review of the Type 45 programme led to the renegotiated six ship contract, which was signed in 2007. During the same year, the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier project underwent independent assurance, which concluded that the project was progressing well and at a more mature stage of development than previous major naval projects prior to manufacture. Linked with this work was an independent financial review, which concluded the costs were robust. However, as reported in the National Audit Office's Major Projects Report 2009, the decisions taken in 2008 to delay the Queen Elizabeth class directly increased costs by an estimated £674 million.
	The procurement lessons learned from these reviews are currently being applied to the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier and the Type 26 projects.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department has allocated to the electromagnetic catapult system project; and for which Royal Air Force aircraft it would be suitable.

Peter Luff: Since 2003, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has allocated around £4.75 million to the electro-magnetic catapult technology demonstrator programme, which is due to complete in November 2010.
	The MOD has not allocated any funding to the United States Electro-Magnetic Aircraft Launch System, although it maintains an interest in US progress through information exchanges.
	An electro-magnetic aircraft launch system would be capable of launching Carrier Variant type aircraft, although neither the Royal Navy nor the Royal Air Force operate this type of aircraft at present.
	The Strategic Defence and Security Review will define the future shape and role of the armed forces and the equipment that they will need.

Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee  (a) was established and  (b) is to be dissolved; and whether there are any plans to replace the Advisory Committee.

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 21 July 2010,  Official Report, column 15WS.

Armed Forces Day

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to review the arrangements his Department put in place to mark Armed Forces Day in 2010; what representations he has received on the events which took place; what plans he has to recognise the contribution of veterans in future years; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Armed Forces Day this year was a great success and we are continually looking for enhanced levels of participation and recognition for future days. Ex-service personnel are at the very heart of all celebrations with many taking the opportunity to stand alongside their serving counterparts.
	The National Event in 2011 will be in Edinburgh and plans are currently being formulated that will once again give the whole country the opportunity to honour Britain's armed forces past, present and future.

Armed Forces: Families

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which organisations his Department has funded to provide welfare and support for the families of service personnel serving in the  (a) Army,  (b) Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force in each of the last 10 years.

Gerald Howarth: Each armed forces' establishment has dedicated unit welfare staff who, as serving personnel, are ideally placed to provide access to specialist welfare support on a number of topics including financial management, housing, and schooling of dependants. The Army Welfare Service, Naval Personal and Family Service and Royal Marines Welfare, and RAF Community Support provide more focused support and ensure families are put in touch with, and supported by, the most appropriate agency. Moreover, formal arrangements exist with organisations such as the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) or HIVE Information Centres who complement the unit welfare staff when dealing with specific issues.
	In addition, arrangements may be made at a local level with other welfare organisations, for example Relate, to respond to specific unit needs. As the information is not held centrally to identify all organisations which have received funding in each of the last 10 years, it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Families

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made by his Department on increasing the level of support services available to the parents of serving military personnel;
	(2)  what support services are offered to parents of service personnel who are not named by those personnel as next of kin;
	(3)  what information is available to parents of serving military personnel who are on active service who are not named by those personnel as next of kin;
	(4)  whether his Department provides support services to the parents of military personnel under  (a) 18 and  (b) 24 years of age.

Gerald Howarth: Support to a family, irrespective of the age of the service person, is not necessarily limited to the next of kin as we will do everything we can to inform, help and advise a family not only prior to, but also during, a deployment. This normally includes a briefing by the Unit Commander on the deployment, as well as giving details of websites that allow family members to keep in touch. Single service welfare organisations are signposted and contact details provided for the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre.
	Should tragedy occur, it is only right that we focus our immediate attention on the recorded next of kin. Support begins by early notification and then the allocation of a visiting officer who can help with, for example, funeral arrangements, money management such as compensation payments, and accessing welfare organisations that can provide bereavement counselling. The support provided is specific to need and remains in place for as long as it is required.
	If appropriate, visiting officer support, including counselling, can be extended to parents who are not recorded as next of kin regardless of whether they live together or not.

Armed Forces: Families

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to increase the level of counselling and advice services provided to mothers of service personnel under the age of 21 years.

Gerald Howarth: Support to families is kept under continual review and where there is a specific need we will do all we can to meet it. Our duty of care extends to all our armed forces and we do not differentiate by age when determining what support is available.

Armed Forces: Families

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department allocated to each organisation for the purpose of providing support services to the families of service personnel in each service in each of the last 10 years.

Gerald Howarth: The information is not held centrally. Support to families is provided from a number of sources, some of which are arranged at a local level and funded accordingly. To determine the level of funding provided in each of the last 10 years would require the search of records retained at a significant number of military establishments. Therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) establishment and  (b) bearing of hospital specialists was for each (i) regular and (ii) reserve service in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: While shortfalls exist in some specialties, the Defence Medical Services have met all the operational requirements placed on them. Medical support to deployed operations is absolutely vital and there is no question of British forces deploying on military operations without the appropriate medical support.
	Where a particular specialty is in short supply within the Defence Medical Services to support deployed operations, a flexible manning approach is used drawing upon regular personnel, reserves and allied forces and on occasions a limited number of civilian contractors are deployed to support operations and to backfill positions in the United Kingdom to allow uniformed personnel to deploy.
	The information for regular service in each year since 2001 has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Data for reservists are not readily available prior to September 2008 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information for each year since 2008 has been placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Housing

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Army accommodation was in each condition category at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what proportion of accommodation for Royal Navy personnel was in each condition category on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  what proportion of Royal Air Force accommodation was in each condition category on the latest date for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: A breakdown of the number of service family accommodation (SFA) properties and single living accommodation (SLA) bed-spaces by both condition category and service is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, for the total number of SFA properties at each standard for condition, I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 617W to my hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point (Rebecca Harris).
	SLA bed-spaces are graded according to their condition and scale which includes a number of factors like size and amount of storage space.
	Currently SLA is at the following grade:
	
		
			  Grade  Bed-spaces 
			 1 41,311 
			 2 16,832 
			 3 25,817 
			 4 62,853

Armed Forces: Housing

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department incurred on refurbishing armed forces accommodation in each of the last five years.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding his Department has allocated for refurbishing armed forces accommodation in  (a) 2010 and  (b) 2011.

Andrew Robathan: "Refurbishment" is not a term used by the Ministry of Defence in regard to property. However, so far as the upgrading of service family accommodation and single-living accommodation is concerned, I refer the hon. Members to the answers I gave on 15 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 344-45W, to the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain) and 15 June 2010,  Official Report, column 345W, to the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Andrew Miller).

Armed Forces: Housing

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many housing units there are for staff use at his Department's Abbey Wood site;
	(2)  what expenditure his Department incurred on the provision of each type of housing for each rank of personnel at its Abbey Wood site in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gerald Howarth: The Ministry of Defence currently holds 230 private finance initiative properties, across three estates, to meet the entitlement of service personnel based at Abbey Wood. Housing is allocated mainly by rank for officers and by family size for other ranks, and cannot be broken down in the form requested.
	The cost of providing this accommodation for financial year 2009-10 was £6.3 million, which includes rent, repair and maintenance.
	There are a further 23 other ranks and nine officers' service family accommodation (SFA) properties across the Bristol area. These properties are leased from Annington Homes Ltd. at a total rental cost of £120,800 per year.
	When demand outweighs supply and no suitable SFA can be found, as a last resort substitute service family accommodation (SSFA) may be offered to service personnel within the appropriate distance from their duty station. As at July 2010, 13 SSFA were being used to house service families posted to Abbey Wood, at a cost of £14,356 per calendar month. The number and costs of substitute accommodation fluctuates on a daily basis.

Armed Forces: Housing

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  for how long each vacant services property assigned to each service and in each location has been vacant; and what the five most frequently given reasons for such vacancies in each such category are;
	(2)  how many void units of service accommodation there are  (a) in each service and  (b) at each location.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse of providing armed forces accommodation on  (a) the Falkland Islands and  (b) Gibraltar was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: It is not possible to identify spending on armed forces living accommodation alone for these locations. These costs are paid from a single estate budget covering all Permanent Joint Operating Bases, which also includes office accommodation, utilities infrastructure, and port and airfield maintenance. The budget for the Falkland Islands also covers the UK military facilities on Ascension Island.
	Total estates costs for financial year 2009-10 were as follows:
	British Forces South Atlantic Islands: £14.4 million.
	British Forces Gibraltar: £13.7 million (including £2.5 million for utilities).

Armed Forces: Housing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department incurred on renting private sector accommodation for armed forces personnel in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: While the majority of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in Scotland and Northern Ireland are owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), other UK properties are leased from the private sector through various arrangements, including private finance initiatives and from Annington Homes Ltd.
	As a last resort, where suitable SFA or Single Living Accommodation does not exist in an area or is temporarily unavailable, Substitute SFA (SSFA) and Substitute Single Service Accommodation (SSSA) may be rented from the local rental market.
	In financial year (FY) 2009-10, the cost of providing SFA, SSFA and SSSA was as follows:
	
		
			  Type of accommodation  Number of properties  Cost in FY 2009-10 (£ million) 
			 SFA 42,060 184 
			 SSFA 1,524 22 
			 SSSA 4,803 56 
		
	
	The MOD also currently rents 5,423 SFA properties overseas through various different arrangements, the total cost of which is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties are rented from the Crown Estate to provide armed forces accommodation; and at what cost in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence currently occupies 168 properties from the Crown Estate to house entitled service personnel and their families under a longstanding notional agreement with the Crown Estate, whereby no rental costs are incurred.

Armed Forces: Housing

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many units of accommodation for armed forces personnel his Department has on Gibraltar.

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many units of accommodation for armed forces personnel his Department has on the Falkland Islands;
	(2)  how many units of accommodation for armed forces personnel his Department has in Cyprus.

Andrew Robathan: The number of service family accommodation (SFA) properties and (SLA) bed-spaces in the Falklands, Cyprus and Gibraltar are given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of SFA properties  Number of SLA bed-spaces 
			 Falklands 73 1,896 
			 Cyprus 2,176 1,698 
			 Gibraltar 440 510

Armed Forces: Housing

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties are rented from the Duchy of Cornwall to provide armed forces accommodation; and at what cost in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not rent any properties from the Duchy of Cornwall for the provision of armed forces accommodation.

Armed Forces: Housing

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department incurred on void accommodation for each of the armed services in the latest period for which figures are available; and at which locations there is void accommodation.

Andrew Robathan: The total expenditure on void single living and service family accommodation, which includes that on rent, maintenance, modernisation and utilities, is not separately identifiable from that on all other accommodation.
	Void accommodation is located at many different sites across the defence estate and is usually only void for short periods to allow for routine moves of service personnel, improvement or modernisation work, demolition, or disposal. The Department will always need to maintain a management margin of void accommodation for these purposes.

Armed Forces: Housing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties are rented from the Duchy of Lancaster to provide armed forces accommodation; and at what cost in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not rent any properties from the Duchy of Lancaster for the provision of armed forces accommodation.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department incurred in providing armed forces accommodation in Cyprus in the last 12 months.

Andrew Robathan: It is not possible to identify spending on armed forces living accommodation alone for the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas. These costs are paid from a single estate budget covering all Permanent Joint Operating Bases, which also includes office accommodation, utilities infrastructure, and port and airfield maintenance.
	Total estates costs for financial year 2009-10 in British Forces Cyprus were £42.4 million.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many housing relocations have taken place in the last 12 months; and what the cost of such relocations was to his Department.

Andrew Robathan: Civilian staff who are transferred to a new permanent place of work outside of reasonable daily travel of their current home, may be eligible for assistance with relocating to the new area. In the period 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2010, there were 233 relocations which involved a move of home.
	Information regarding the cost of the aforementioned relocations is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons are for the trends in his Department's expenditure under its Defence Training Review contract between 2008 and July 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The current estimate of the cost of the Defence Training Rationalisation Package 1 Project is £14 billion compared to the £12 billion reported on 10 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1807W. This represents the cost for the provision of the construction of new facilities at St Athan and the whole operating costs for the entire 30 year life of the project. These operating costs include staff, catering and maintenance costs, the majority of which we already carry today. The increase in costs since 2008 results from the substantial increased cost of finance, increased provision for risk, and the changed assumption for inflation throughout the life of the project.

Armed Forces: Young People

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving military personnel are under 21 years of age.

Gerald Howarth: At 1 June 2010, there were 22,110 (rounded to nearest 10) members of the armed forces under the age of 21 years.
	Further information on the ages and sex of the armed forces is available in TSP 8 published annually by the Ministry of Defence's Defence Analytical Services and Advice which can be found at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index .php?page=48&thiscontent=80&pubType=1&date=2010-06-10&PublishTime=09:30:00

Bowman Combat Radio System

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Bowman radios of what monetary value have been reported lost in each of the last two years.

Peter Luff: Four Bowman radios have been lost in the last two years with a value in the region of £80,000.

Defence Industrial Strategy

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the new Defence Industrial Strategy on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Peter Luff: The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) will form the baseline for determining the capabilities that we need now and in the future. After the SDSR has completed in the autumn, and before the end of the year, we intend to publish a Green Paper on our defence industry and technology policy. The Green Paper will build on the SDSR conclusions, and ongoing discussions with industry and others. This will include our thinking on exports, sovereignty and small and medium-sized enterprises-and issues arising from the SDSR itself. There will then be a formal period of consultation, to allow industry, the public and other interested parties to express their ideas and concerns. A White Paper setting out our industrial policy and strategy for the next five years will then be brought forward in spring 2011. Ministers are determined to use this process to enhance the opportunities for SMEs.

Defence Industrial Strategy

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes to the Defence Industrial Strategy he is considering as part of the Strategic Security and Defence Review.

Liam Fox: The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) will form the baseline for determining the capabilities that we need now and in the future. After the SDSR has completed in the autumn, and before the end of the year, MOD will publish a Green Paper on industry and technology matters. This will build on the SDSR conclusions and ongoing discussions with industry and others. It will include our thinking on exports, sovereignty, and small and medium-size Enterprises-as well as issues arising from the SDSR itself. There will then be a formal consultation period to allow industry, the public, and other interested parties to express their ideas and concerns. A White Paper setting out the MOD's industrial and technology policy and strategy for the next five years will then be brought forward in spring 2011.

Defence: Manpower

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of defence expenditure in 2010-11 is allocated to costs related to  (a) Army personnel,  (b) Royal Navy personnel,  (c) Royal Air Force personnel and  (d) all his Department's staff.

Liam Fox: The Ministry of Defence's forecast expenditure in 2010-11 for personnel costs is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Personnel costs (£ million) 
			 Royal Navy 1,900 
			 Army 5,300 
			 RAF 2,200 
			 Tri Service allowances(1) 200 
			 Civilian 2,700 
			 Total 12,300 
			 (1) Some allowances for service personnel cannot be split by service. These figures are forecasts and are, therefore, subject to change. They include salaries and wages, social security costs, pension costs, and redundancy and severance costs.

Defence: Trade Unions

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings he has had with trades union representatives of employees in the UK defence sector as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Liam Fox: None.
	We have consulted widely on the Security Defence and Security Review and invited comment from all interested parties, including the trade unions. I and my ministerial colleagues meet regularly with trade union representatives, and I intend to meet them again in the coming months.

Departmental Accountancy

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he takes to ensure that his Department meets international financial reporting standards.

Liam Fox: The departmental resource accounts are compiled in accordance with the Government Financial Reporting Manual ensuring compliance with international financial reporting standards as adapted for the public sector.
	The 2009-10 departmental resource accounts were qualified by the Comptroller and Auditor General because the Department has not complied with the new accounting requirements for determining whether a contract contains a lease and has therefore omitted a material value of assets and liabilities from the statement of financial position (previously known as the balance sheet).
	The Department has assessed that the impact on the financial statements is likely to be material but the cost of the additional work exceeds the benefits of compliance. The number and complexity of existing contracts, together with likely difficulties in obtaining information required from third parties, would make compliance costly and time-consuming.
	In order to move towards achieving compliance, the Department is applying the new accounting requirements to contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2010. However, given the length of some of the Department's existing contractual arrangements, it may be a number of years before compliance is achieved.
	In all other respects the 2009-10 departmental resource accounts comply with international financial reporting standards.

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Andrew Robathan: A copy of the list of land and property sold by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its agencies in each year since 2005 has been placed in the Library of the House. All sale proceeds have been accrued by the MOD.

Departmental Billing

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the time taken by contractors employed by it to pay the invoices of their sub-contractors under prompt payment arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Gerald Howarth: The Ministry of Defence does not hold any central information on the time taken by contractors to pay their sub-contractors. However, we are working closely with contractors to ensure that sub-contractors receive payment promptly.
	We remain committed to paying invoices within five working days and continue to work closely with our contractors to ensure that the benefits are felt by all in the supply chain.

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much office space per employee his Department occupied in each year since 1997.

Gerald Howarth: Data on how much office space per employee the department occupied prior to 2007 are not held. Since April 2008, the Ministry of Defence in common with all other central Government Departments has participated in the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Property Benchmarking Service, which captures office space utilisation of occupied offices that have a net internal area over 500 metres. This information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			 Number of buildings benchmarked 21 23 
			 Total occupied space (square metres) 259,796 272,683 
			 Space per member of full-time equivalent staff (square metres) 13.6 13.1 
		
	
	Data for 2009-10 are currently undergoing validation. I will write to my hon. Friend when these data are available.

Departmental Civil Service Live Conference

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of the  (a) ATHENA,  (b) Export Services Authority,  (c) People, Pay and Pension Agency, Defence e-Government Services and Financial Management Shared Service Centre,  (d) Ministry of Defence Education Outreach Programme and  (e) Met Office stand at Civil Service Live 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The approximate costs of Ministry of Defence participation in Civil Service Live 2010, including the cost of stand hire, materials and staff travel(1), was as follows:
	(1) This excludes the costs of travel for MOD employees that visited Civil Service Live 2010, and represents only the travel costs associated with those responsible for the exhibitions.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Athena 7,700 
			 Disposal Services Authority 6,200 
			 People Pay and Pensions Agency/Defence electronic Procurement Services/Financial Management Shared Services Centre shared stand 6,900 
			 MOD Education Outreach Programme 3,600 
			 Met Office 14,800

Departmental Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each year since 2005.

Gerald Howarth: Departmental expenditure on external assistance has been as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2005-06 226 
			 2006-07 129 
			 2007-08 120 
			 2008-09 106 
			 2009-10 79 
		
	
	This information is published in an annual report on expenditure on external assistance which we have placed in the Library of the House since 1995-96. We do not hold information individually by non-departmental public body and executive agency, but the annual report does give an expenditure breakdown for each of our top level Budgets and Trading Funds.
	External assistance includes management consultancy, specialist lawyers, commercial bankers and IT expertise. Consultants help us to increase our efficiency and effectiveness, but we employ them only when we cannot do the work ourselves and where we can demonstrate value for money.
	All spend on consultancy will comply with the tighter controls announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 24 May 2010 and is expected to reduce further.

Departmental Consultants

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

Gerald Howarth: We contract for external assistance with consultancy companies to deliver a specific output at an agreed price. The daily rate paid to individual consultants is a commercial matter for the contractor involved.
	All spending on consultancy will comply with the tighter controls announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 24 May and is expected to reduce further.

Departmental Contracts

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value is of his Department's contracts with its suppliers which have been cancelled under his Department's plans to achieve cost savings.

Gerald Howarth: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently reviewing all aspects of defence activity as part of the Government's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). The conclusion of the SDSR is likely to require the MOD to renegotiate specific contracts, but no decisions have yet been made. In the interim, the MOD is participating in the actions announced by the Chancellor on 24 May to reduce public spending.
	The MOD has not yet cancelled any contracts as part of this programme of work.
	However, the MOD has suspended two projects. These are the search and rescue helicopter contract, at £4.7 billion, and long lead items for the Trident replacement programme, at £66 million.

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

Gerald Howarth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, information relating to properties currently vacant on the civil office estate across the department is held. As of July 31 2010 the position was:
	
		
			  Property name  Town  Vacant space (m( 2) )  Description  Rental value £ million (equivalent and/or total) 
			 Sapphire House Telford 1672 4th floor open plan offices (1)0.89 
			 Sapphire House Telford 622 Ground floor open plan office suite (1)- 
			 (1 )Indicates a brace 
		
	
	The lease on this property expires in March 2011 and it has not proved possible to find a temporary use for the building.

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many chairs his Department has purchased in each year since 1997; how much it spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Peter Luff: Furniture-related data for the financial years prior to 2002-03 are not held in a form that would enable information relating to chairs to be separately identified. The number and cost, excluding VAT, of chairs procured in each complete financial year since then is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial years  Quantity  Cost (£ million) 
			 2002-03 73,872 5.6 
			 2003-04 79,872 6.1 
			 2004-05 72,685 5.6 
			 2005-06 57,741 4.7 
			 2006-07 75,172 4.0 
			 2007-08 44,137 2.6 
			 2008-09 60,190 3.9 
			 2009-10 54,095 3.8 
		
	
	The figures relate to a range of seating including: lounge chairs for messes and barracks; dining chairs, armchairs, settees and child highchairs for service families accommodation; orthopaedic chairs; office chairs; and reception area seating. They do not include private finance initiative or public private partnership projects, where the furniture is supplied by the industrial partner and not charged direct to the Ministry of Defence, but included in the overall costs of the project.
	The five most expensive seating items purchased in each financial year from 2002-03 onwards were: orthopaedic office chairs; armchairs for operational crew rooms; large settees for reception areas; three-seater settees for Service family accommodation; and specialist fire retardant operator chairs for use in underground, windowless accommodation.

Departmental Pay

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2010,  Official Report, column 179W, on departmental manpower, what the salary range is of staff employed at each grade in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Gerald Howarth: From 1 August 2010 the salary range of the staff employed at each grade in the private office for each Minister is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Grade  Minimum  Maximum 
			  Secretary of State for Defence   
			 SCSPB1 58,200 117,750 
			 B1 (Grade 6) 58,693 72,185 
			 B2 (Grade 7) 49,860 59,535 
			 C1 (SEO) 37,073 44,268 
			 D (EO) 24,364 29,092 
			
			  Minister of State for the Armed Forces   
			 B2 (Grade 7) 49,860 59,535 
			 C1 (SEO) 37,073 44,268 
			 D (EO) 24,364 29,092 
			
			  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans   
			 B2 (Grade 7) 49,860 59,535 
			 C2 (HEO) 30,428 36,333 
			 D (EO) 24,364 29,092 
			
			  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology   
			 B2 (Grade 7) 49,860 59,535 
			 C1 (SEO) 37,073 44,268 
			 D (EO) 24,364 29,092 
			
			  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for International Security Strategy   
			 C1 (SEO) 37,073 44,268 
			 C2 (HEO) 30,428 36,333 
			 D (EO) 24,364 29,092 
			
			  The private office of the Under-Secretary of State and Lords Spokesman on Defence (1)- (1)- 
			 (1 )The composition was not finalised at the time of the previous reply, 9 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 179-80W.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each region of England and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Andrew Robathan: The pension costs of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the on-Vote Defence Agencies are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 (estimated) 
			 MOD (including the on-Vote Agencies below) 1,825.0 1,849.0 2,046.0 2,175.0 
			 Defence Storage & Distribution Agency(1) 14.4 12.6 12.2 n/a 
			 Defence Vetting Agency 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 
			 MOD Police & Guarding Agency 39.7 40.5 40.3 39.9 
			 People, Pay & Pensions Agency 4.3 4.4 4.3 3.7 
			 Service Children's Agency 5.5 5.4 5.5 5.6 
			 Service Personnel & Veterans Agency 5.7 5.1 5.3 5.1 
			 (1 )The Defence Storage & Distribution Agency was disestablished on 31 July 2010. 
		
	
	The pension costs of our Trading Funds are as follows (the Trading Funds lie outside our departmental accounting boundary and these costs are not therefore included in the MOD total in the previous table):
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Defence Support Group(1) n/a 14.8 13.6 14.6 
			 Defence Science & Technology Laboratory 22.2 23.5 23.5 26.2 
			 Met Office 11.2 12.1 12.2 12.4 
			 UK Hydrographic Office 5.8 5.8 5.6 5.9 
			 (1 )The Defence Support Group was formed on 1 April 2008 from the merger of the Army Base Repair Organisation and the Defence Aviation Repair Agency. 
		
	
	We disclose the information above in our Annual Reports & Accounts and those of our on-vote Agencies and Trading Funds. Copies of Annual Reports and Accounts are placed in the Library of the House. A regional breakdown of pension costs is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	We do not contribute to the pension costs of the non-departmental public bodies we sponsor, except for the small number of civil servants supporting our advisory non-departmental public bodies. Their costs are included in the MOD total and could be provided separately only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Private Education

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department were in receipt of the continuity of education allowance in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the cost to his Department was in respect of staff  (a) in the UK and  (b) posted overseas.

Andrew Robathan: In financial year 2008-09, currently the last full year in which figures are available, there were approximately 6,000 (rounded to the nearest 20) service personnel in receipt of continuity of education allowance (CEA). The figure of 6,000 cannot be effectively broken down into UK based and overseas without incurring disproportionate cost, as a number of personnel moved during the academic year.
	The cost of CEA to the Department in respect of staff in the UK and posted overseas in financial year 2008-09 was:
	
		
			  Location  £ million 
			 UK (1)155.4 
			 Overseas (2)17.4 
			 Total 172.8 
			 (1 )The Department paid £64.7 million in tax and national insurance (NI) to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs on behalf of UK based personnel in financial year 2008-09. (2) Overseas CEA is not subject to tax or NI. 
		
	
	Civilian schooling allowance is only paid to Ministry of Defence civilian employees appointed overseas. Payment ceases on return to the UK. Approximately £1 million was paid in 2009.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent in total in each  (a) nation and  (b) region of the UK in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: Estimated direct Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure for the nations of the United Kingdom and the regions for the latest five years where data are available are presented in the following tables. These estimates cover MOD expenditure on equipment, non-equipment, service and civilian personnel costs.
	
		
			  £  m illion at current prices (VAT exclusive) 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Nation:  
			 United Kingdom 23,720 23,630 25,540 26,080 25,920 
			 England 21,010 21,120 22,890 23,450 23,310 
			 Scotland 1,720 1,640 1,710 1,630 1,560 
			 Wales 430 360 380 410 390 
			 Northern Ireland 550 510 560 590 660 
			  Regions of England:  
			 East 2,460 2,380 2,660 2,440 2,250 
			 East Midlands 760 790 990 940 950 
			 London 1,670 1,810 1,440 1,440 1,610 
			 North East 400 350 390 440 370 
			 North West 2,190 1,960 1,920 2,360 2,140 
			 South East 5,880 6,210 7,100 6,940 7,110 
			 South West 5,650 5,750 6,350 6,560 6,510 
			 West Midlands 1,000 910 970 1,180 1,250 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 990 970 1,060 1,150 1,130 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million. 2. All totals have been calculated using unrounded data. 3. Indirect expenditure, such as subcontracted work, is not reflected in these figures. 4. Personnel costs exclude contributions made by MOD to the Armed Forces Pensions scheme and War Pensions scheme. 
		
	
	The Ministry of Defence no longer compiles estimates of expenditure at the sub-UK areas described in the tables presented as they do not directly support policy making or operations. The last estimates relate to 2007-08.
	As a result, the complex data analysis required to produce the underlying sub-UK expenditure data is no longer performed. To produce a comparable time series beyond 2007-08 would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Regulation

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of his Department's regulations are under review; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: In the budget the Government announced plans to reduce the regulatory burden and to review all regulation inherited from the previous Government.
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently reviewing its secondary legislation in two areas. Firstly, regulations governing the Service Pensions and Compensation Schemes are reviewed annually and updated where necessary. This includes implementing the recommendations of Admiral the Lord Boyce in his review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme laid before Parliament in February 2010. Also being reviewed are existing Defence byelaws and other local instruments in relation to land occupied for Defence purposes.
	Although regulations made by the MOD rarely impact on business, the reviews within these policy areas will be conducted in the spirit of this announcement, to ensure fairness and to provide clarity and consistency.
	Finally, the 'Your Freedom' website launched by the Deputy Prime Minister on 1 July 2010 will also give members of the public the opportunity to suggest existing regulations for removal, in order to reduce the regulatory burden.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: As at 30 June 2010, there were 65,019 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties worldwide and as at 31 March 2010, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 146,813 Single Living Accommodation (SLA) bed-spaces.
	While the majority of SFA in Scotland and Northern Ireland are owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), other UK properties are leased from the private sector through various arrangements, including Private Finance Initiatives. SLA is owned and controlled by the MOD.
	Where suitable SFA or SLA properties do not exist in an area or are temporarily unavailable, as a last resort Substitute SFA (SSFA) and Substitute Single Service Accommodation (SSSA) is also rented from the local rental market.
	The total cost of SSSA, SFA or SSFA properties in the UK provided through these arrangements is only available for the last four years, presented in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Number  Cost (£ million) 
			 2006-07 48,258 225.5 
			 2007-08 48,321 241.5 
			 2008-09 48,965 254.9 
			 2009-10 48.387 261.9 
		
	
	The MOD also currently rents 5,423 SFA properties overseas. Information regarding the rental costs for overseas SFA, as well as details of the rent paid broken down by region, nation of the UK or in London are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	SSFA and SSSA numbers have increased due to a greater requirement for accommodation from the Armed Forces in locations were SFA and SLA does not exist or is not available to meet the increased demand.
	Information on the rent paid for other types of property is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his  (a) Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on training for its employees in each year since 1997.

Andrew Robathan: Training and development is an integral part of the Ministry of Defence's core business whether it is providing essential job training for our civilians or training our armed forces in order to maintain a state of readiness to conduct operations in any part of the globe. In order to meet this requirement our armed forces personnel need to remain in a state of constant readiness. The MOD addresses this requirement through what is known as phase training of which there are three stages.
	Phase one training is basic military training carried out at a specialist site and will last approximately seven weeks.
	Phase two training is specific job or trade training in the individual's choice of branch, for example pilot, engineer, medic etc. This training is again carried out at a specialist site and can take months or years to complete depending upon the branch trade.
	Phase three is continuation training which service personnel undergo to increase their knowledge in a specialist area.
	Annual information for each year dating back to 1997 along with a breakdown below departmental level is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the MOD's estimated spend on training in financial year 2009-10 was £3.3 billion. Of this, £2.5 billion was spent on military training covering phases one to three. A further £665 million was spent on other training requirements including recruitment, resettlement and cadet forces. Finally, £189 million funded the Defence Academy which provides post-graduate education and the majority of command, staff, leadership, management and specialist acquisition and technology training for members of the armed forces and MOD civil servants.
	Most armed forces and civil service training is provided in-house but some £210 million is provided through external providers.

Guided Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much has been spent on the Team Complex Weapons programme;
	(2)  how much money each Team Complex Weapons contractor has received under the Team Complex Weapons programme to date.

Peter Luff: The total public expenditure on the Team Complex Weapons programme from the start of the assessment phase in July 2008 to the end of June 2010 is some £240 million. The two Team Complex Weapons prime contractors associated with this work, MBDA UK Ltd and Thales UK, have received some £218 million and some £12 million respectively over the same period. The remaining £10 million has provided technical and project support to the Ministry of Defence, including through the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and QinetiQ, as well as securing supporting equipment, facilities and information that the Ministry of Defence provides in support of the initiative and its range of projects.

HMS Queen Elizabeth

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether HMS Queen Elizabeth will carry Harrier aircraft until the Joint Strike Fighter enters service with the Royal Navy.

Peter Luff: On current plans, Harrier GR9 aircraft will operate from the Queen Elizabeth class carriers prior to the Joint Strike Fighter entering service with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
	In the context of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Secretary of State for Defence has set work in hand to review all major equipment programmes to ensure the future programme is coherent with future defence needs, and this work is ongoing.

HMS Queen Elizabeth

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will be equipped with an aircraft catapult system.

Peter Luff: The Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers are being built to an innovative adaptable design. Their initial configuration is for the operation of the Harrier GR9 and the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing version of the Joint Strike Fighter, but they could, if required, be adapted to operate catapult-launched aircraft in the future.
	The Strategic Defence and Security Review will define the future shape and role of the armed forces and the equipment that they will need.

HMS Sussex

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent assessment is of progress in the salvage of HMS Sussex by Odyssey Marine Exploration.

Nick Harvey: Work to excavate the site of the shipwreck that is believed to be that of the former Royal Navy warship HMS Sussex, which sank off the coast of Spain in 1694, has been on hold since 2007. This is due to a dispute between Odyssey Marine Exploration, the company that holds the licence to carry out the excavation work, and the Spanish Government.

HMS Triumph

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the recent refit of HMS Triumph; and when HMS Triumph will return to operational duties.

Peter Luff: The cost of the recent major refit for HMS Triumph is still to be finalised. However, the Department's estimate is approximately £255 million. HMS Triumph is now ready for operational service and the crew are currently undertaking a period of routine training prior to the next deployment.

HQ Royal Armoured Corps

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the establishment of HQ Royal Armoured Corps is; and over how many locations the Corps operates.

Nick Harvey: The liability for the Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps is 5,778. The locations of the individual regiments are as follows:
	
		
			  Regiment  Based in : 
			 Household Cavalry Regiment Windsor 
			 Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment London 
			 Queens Dragoon Guards Sennelager (Germany) 
			 Scots Dragoon Guards Fallingbostal (Germany) 
			 Royal Dragoon Guards Catterick (currently deployed in Afghanistan) 
			 9/12 Lancers Hohne (Germany) 
			 Queens Royal Hussars Sennelager (Germany) 
			 Kings Royal Hussars Tidworth 
			 Light Dragoons S wanton Morley 
			 Queens Royal Lancers Catterick (currently deployed in Afghanistan) 
			 Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment Honnington 
			 1 Royal Tank Regiment Armoured Squadron Warminster 
			 2 Royal Tank Regiment Tidworth 
		
	
	Headquarters Director of the Royal Armoured Corps Headquarters is based in Bovington, and its liability is 78 (62 military personnel and 16 civil servants).

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated in-service date with the Royal Navy is of the Joint Strike Fighter.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Joint Strike Fighter F-35B short take-off and landing variant to enter service with the Royal Navy.

Peter Luff: The in-service date for the Joint Combat Aircraft for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy will not be set until we have taken the main investment decision on the project. That decision will be taken in light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review and when the project is sufficiently mature.

Larkhill

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which armed forces units are based at Larkhill.

Nick Harvey: The units based at Larkhill are: 32 Regiment Royal Artillery, The Royal School of Artillery, 14 Regiment Royal Artillery, 1 Artillery Brigade Support Troop, Headquarters Larkhill Garrison and 12 Army Education Centre.
	There are also medical and dental centres, staffed by the Army primary health care service.

Military Bases: Security

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of the provision of security to his Department's sites by  (a) the Military Provost Guard Service and  (b) the Ministry of Defence Guard Service was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: During the financial year 2009-10, the cost of the provision of security to Ministry of Defence (MOD) sites by the MOD Guard Service (MGS) was £120.688 million. The costs during the same period to provide security to MOD sites by the Military Provost Guard Service was £67.263 million.

Military Decorations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement on the conclusions of the review of  (a) the rules governing the awarding of medals and  (b) the institution of a national defence medal.

Andrew Robathan: The Coalition provided an undertaking in its programme for government to review the rules governing the award of medals. However, it is too early to say what conclusions will be reached and consequently when any decisions will be made.

Ministry of Defence Police Agency

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the withdrawal of the Ministry of Defence Police Agency from RAF Welford.

Andrew Robathan: On current plans, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) police will be withdrawn from RAF Welford by the end of September. The Ministry of Defence police officers will be replaced by staff from the MOD Guard Service who have been recruited and are in place. In addition several security enhancements have been made to the base.

Ministry of Defence Police Agency

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future number of officers in the Ministry of Defence Police Agency at each base.

Andrew Robathan: The future number of Ministry of Defence police officers will be determined by the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, and by other ongoing work that will determine the future Defence requirement for the policing services and capabilities that are provided by the Ministry of Defence police.

Nuclear Reactors

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department's contract to build a nuclear reactor core was cancelled.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence has not cancelled any contracts relating to the building of nuclear reactor cores.

Nuclear Submarines

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from what budget the capital cost of replacing the Vanguard nuclear weapons-capable submarines will be met.

Liam Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 620W, to the hon. Member for Arfon (Hywel Williams).

RAF Menwith Hill

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of patrolling the Counter-Terrorist Unit at RAF Menwith Hill in each year since 2001.

Nick Harvey: External policing at RAF Menwith Hill is provided by North Yorkshire Police and the Ministry of Defence Police. It is common practice that police forces do not release the costs and numbers of officers as this might compromise future operations.

St Helena: Armed Forces

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many residents from the Island of Saint Helena are serving in each of the armed services.

Gerald Howarth: As at 1 June 2010, according to the nationality field of the joint personnel administration system, there are approximately 20 service personnel from St Helena and these are all in the Army.
	However, former residents of St Helena who are members of the armed forces are British citizens and may choose to record their nationality as British on their service record. To determine how many former residents of St Helena are currently serving would require the manual search of all recruiting records and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimates he has received from Deloitte on the cost of the Future Submarine Programme.

Peter Luff: No cost estimates have been received from Deloitte on the Future Submarine Programme as this work is being undertaken by the Ministry of Defence. During the programme's concept phase, Deloitte has provided the Department with independent and impartial strategic business advice and undertaken an independent programme, commercial and financial assurance function.

Submarines

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the running costs were of the ballistic missile submarine fleet in the latest period for which figures are available, expressed in cash terms.

Liam Fox: Annual figures for the maintenance, refitting and operation of the Vanguard class submarines for the present comprehensive spending review (CSR) period are shown in the following table. It is not possible to provide costs for financial year 2010-11, the last year in the present CSR period.
	
		
			   Total (£ million) 
			 2008-09 150 
			 2009-10 170 
			  Note: Figures rounded to the nearest £5 million. 
		
	
	Maintenance and refit costs include: specialist subcontractor support for propulsion systems, masts and sensors, and weapons systems; estimated HM Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde labour costs (estimated because these costs are collected for HMNB Clyde as a whole, and are not attributed to specific classes of ships or submarines); and delivering the ongoing Vanguard Class Long Overhaul Period (Refuel) (LOP (R)) programme, the costs of LOP(R) planning, and the procurement of long lead materials.
	Nuclear propulsion costs are not included as they are not held in the format requested.
	The operating costs cover those directly identifiable costs incurred in the day to day operation of the submarines. These include manpower, stock (such as tools and hardware) and other costs such as travel and subsistence, and accommodation stores.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence reimbursed service personnel £1.1 million in taxi fares during 2009-10. Expenditure in earlier years, and on taxi fares claimed by civilian staff, is not recorded separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Our staff may only use a taxi for official duty when there is a business benefit to the MOD or when it saves money. A taxi is typically used where no other suitable form of public transport is available. In the present economic conditions, we have also been constraining the amount of travel undertaken.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the value of facilities provided by his Department and its predecessors for use by trade unions in each year since 1997.

Gerald Howarth: The MOD does not make payments to any trade unions (TUs). The MOD-recognised TUs are funded through the subscription fees of their members.
	The MOD views it to be in the joint interest of the Department and its recognised trade unions and staff associations for reasonable administrative facilities to be provided and the Department complies with the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Code of Practice 'Time off for trade union duties and activities.' Representatives for each recognised trade union and staff association are provided with equipped office space in an appropriate location, including facilities to work in accordance with that provided for other staff in the buildings on site, for example, desk, phone, IT, fax, etc.
	Regarding the estimate of the annual value of such provision-the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997.

Gerald Howarth: The MOD uses a standard figure of 220 days to calculate the time off for trade union duties and activities (facility time). This figure represents the working year after the deduction of annual leave, public, privilege and bank holidays, for full-time employees. The amount of time off, and the purposes for which it is allowed, is determined by what is considered reasonable and the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Code of Practice "Time off for Trade Union duties and activities". The facility time allowances are agreed annually and are reflected as a percentage of the employee's working year.
	The following table sets out the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) civil servants allocated facility time each year since 1997. Based on an average working day of seven hours, a broad estimate has been calculated to address the amount of paid manpower hours spent on facility time. It has not been possible to extract those employees with facility time working part-time.
	
		
			  Year( 1)  FTEs  Hours 
			 2009-10(2) 135 207,900 
			 2008-09(3) 186 286,440 
			 2007-08(4) - - 
			 2006-07(5) 200 308,000 
			 2005-06(6) 192 295,680 
			 2004-05 197 303,380 
			 2003-04 196 301,840 
			 2002-03 209 321,860 
			 2001-02 209 321,860 
			 2000-01 198 304,920 
			 1999-2000 206 317,240 
			 1998-99 189 291,060 
			 1997-98 189 291,060 
			 (1 )The method of capturing the information changed from a formal manual system (pre 2006) to a system drawn from the Department's management information system (since 2006). The reliability of these data has varied and therefore the following footnotes should be taken into consideration: (2 )2009-10-IT records have been data cleansed to remove known discrepancies. Data exclude facility time for employees in Trading Funds, Service Personnel Vetting Agency and Defence Police Federation. (3 )2008-09-The IT records had improved but were known to include some discrepancies (i.e. duplicate records). Data exclude facility time for employees in Trading Funds, Service Personnel Vetting Agency and Defence Police Federation. (4 )2007-08-The IT data were insufficient data to produce reliable records. (5 )2006-07-There were IT system issues so 2005-06 data were manually updated by local HR business partners. (6 )2005-06-The last year of manual records compiled by local HR business partners.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants in his Department spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

Gerald Howarth: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses a standard figure of 220 days to calculate the time off for trade union duties and activities (facility time). This figure represents the working year after the deduction of annual leave, public, privilege and bank holidays, for full time employees. The amount of time off, and the purposes for which it is allowed, is determined by what is considered reasonable and the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) code of practice 'Time off for Trade Union duties and activities'. MOD facility time allowances are agreed annually and are reflected as a percentage of the employee's working year.
	The facility time is allocated as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage  Days 
			 1-10 2-22 
			 11-49 23-109 
			 50-99 110-219 
			 100 220 
		
	
	The following table sets out the number of civil servants allocated facility time while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997:
	
		
			  Year( 1)  1-10%  11-49%  50-99%  100%  Total 
			 2009-10(2) 182 169 15 65 431 
			 2008-09(3) 176 168 15 116 475 
			 2007-08(4) - - - - - 
			 2006-07(5) 720 228 33 71 1,052 
			 2005-06(6) 694 222 35 ,66 1,017 
			 2004-05 868 226 34 68 1,196 
			 2003-04 918 214 34 65 U30 
			 2002-03 981 225 37 63 1306 
			 2001-02 988 242 45 54 1,329 
			 2000-01 1,060 195 38 57 1350 
			 1999-2000 1,184 179 43 58 1,465 
			 1998-99 1,279 171 29 54 1,533 
			 1997-98 1,200 177 24 58 1,459 
			 (1) The method of capturing the information changed from a formal manual system (pre 2006) to a system drawn from the department's management information system (since 2006). The reliability of these data has varied and therefore the following footnotes should be taken in to consideration: (2) 2009-10: IT records have been data cleansed to remove known discrepancies. Data exclude facility time for employees in Trading Funds, Service Personnel Vetting Agency and Defence Police Federation. (3) 2008-09: The IT records had improved but were known to include some discrepancies (i.e. duplicate records). Data exclude facility time for employees in Trading Funds, Service Personnel Vetting Agency and Defence Police Federation. (4) 2007-08: The IT data were insufficient to produce reliable records. (5) 2006-07: There were IT system issues so 2005-06 data manually updated by local HR Business Partners. (6) 2005-06: The last year of manual records compiled by local HR Business Partners.

Trident

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what costs to the public purse he expects be incurred in respect of work on a replacement for the Trident nuclear weapons system in this Parliament, including costs associated with  (a) the submarine replacement programme concept phase,  (b) the post-initial gate assessment phase,  (c) expenditure on new facilities at the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment and  (d) expenditure on (i) the development of a replacement warhead and (ii) the refurbishment of the existing warhead.

Liam Fox: The spend on the Concept Phase for the replacement submarine and associated propulsion system since the beginning of April 2007 to the end of June 2010 is some £570 million. The total spend for the Concept Phase cannot be calculated until the end of this phase is reached and the Initial Gate Business Case has been considered.
	The cost of the Assessment Phase will be influenced by the decisions taken at Initial Gate due later this year and will take full account of the ongoing Value-For-Money Review.
	Replacement facilities at Atomic Weapons Establishment sites are necessary to support the in-service warhead although they would also be able to support a refurbished or replacement warhead should that be required. Against Current estimates it is planned that the facilities will cost some £490 million in financial year 2010-11. Expenditure in future years is subject to the ongoing comprehensive spending review negotiations.
	No decision has been taken on whether to refurbish or replace the existing warhead. Expenditure amounting to some £12 million per annum is presently being incurred on studies required to inform such a decision.

Trident Missiles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he expects his Department to spend on the D-5 missile life extension programme in each of the next 10 years.

Liam Fox: Forecast expenditure by the Ministry of Defence on the D5 missile life extension programme for 2010-11 is currently £5.5 million.
	Spending plans for 2011-12 and beyond have not yet been agreed and will be set as part of the Government's spending review process. Therefore, I am withholding details of the proposed spending beyond 2010-11 as to release this information would be likely to impact upon the formulation of Government policy.

USA: Ballistic Missile Defence

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what costs have been incurred in respect of the US Missile Defence system in each year since 1997.

Liam Fox: The UK provides support to the US Missile Defence system by sharing radar early warning information from RAF Fylingdales and by allowing the US to use RAF Menwith Hill to receive satellite early warning information; the UK does not incur any additional costs in respect of these activities. Any question regarding the overall cost of the US Ballistic Missile Defence system would be for the US Administration to answer.

Volcanic Ash Disruption: Evacuation

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on what dates  (a) HMS Illustrious and  (b) HMS Ocean arrived at ports in northern France to assist in the evacuation of British citizens following the disruption to flights caused by volcanic ash in April 2010;
	(2)  how many British citizens were evacuated by  (a) HMS Illustrious and  (b) HMS Ocean from ports in northern France in (i) April and (ii) May 2010.

Nick Harvey: At various times during the flight disruption, RFA Fort Victoria, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Ocean were placed on standby to assist with the recovery of British citizens from northern France. This was at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They were to be used if civilian ferry capacity at French ports proved insufficient. HMS Illustrious was not involved in the effort. Civilian capacity proved adequate and no Royal Navy ships were needed, they did not enter ports in northern France and no British citizens were evacuated.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold financial information in a form that allows us to identify expenditure on wine separately from other expenditure on official entertainment and therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Strict rules apply to the purchase of wine under departmental rules on official entertainment and currently no new official entertainment can be arranged without the prior approval of nominated senior civil servants.
	Expenditure on official entertainment is reported annually under administration and programme costs in the MOD's accounts. These can be found on the MOD website at the following address:
	www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports

TRANSPORT

A3: Hampshire

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to mitigate the projected increase in traffic on the A3  (a) between Liphook and Petersfield and  (b) at the Ham Barn roundabout near Liss following the opening of the Hindhead Tunnel.

Michael Penning: The projected increase in traffic using the A3 following the opening of the Hindhead Tunnel is relatively small (estimated to be less than 10%) and largely due to drivers returning to the A3 from other routes. As a result there are no plans to mitigate the projected increase between Liphook and Petersfield.
	However, the Highways Agency is investigating potential alterations to the A3 Ham Barn Roundabout which are subject to further stakeholder liaison with Hampshire county council and East Hampshire district council. Any improvement will be subject to the availability of funding.

A3: Hampshire

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the replacement of the Ham Barn roundabout by a flyover to carry the A3.

Michael Penning: No representations to replace the roundabout by a flyover on the A3 have been received.

Bus Services: Concessions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have taken up the local entitlement for free bus travel since that entitlement was introduced.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
	The last information held by the Department was that as of 6 April this year, approximately 10 million smartcard concessionary passes had been issued since the introduction of the England-wide concession in April 2008. This includes passes issued to both eligible older and disabled people.
	The Department holds no data about passes issued prior to this date.

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Norman Baker: The requested information has been placed in the Library of the House. Sales proceeds were retained by the Agency disposing of the land or building.
	The Information requested at (ii) (A) is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Consultants

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) average and  (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: This information is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Operating Costs

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expenditure elements comprise the administrative budget for the commissioning and purchasing sections within his Department.

Philip Hammond: Advice about administration budgets is set out in chapter 4 of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance for 2010-11 which can be found on the HM Treasury website; the link is:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/consolidated_budgeting_guidance201011.pdf
	The administration budget for the Department for Transport includes the relevant costs (as defined in section 4.8 of the guidance) of the core Department, the Highways Agency and the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the powers of his Department's agencies to set pay rates for their staff; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues, including the Chancellor, on a wide range of issues. In line with the Ministerial Code, it would be inappropriate to comment on the content of these discussions.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Norman Baker: A breakdown of pension contribution costs for each of the last three years, together with planned expenditure for 2010-11, by country and region, is not available and would incur a disproportionate cost to produce.
	The total pension costs incurred by the Department for Transport, each non-departmental public body and each Executive Agency can be obtained by review of each entity's statutory accounts.

Departmental Public Expenditure

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has undertaken equality impact assessments of the proposed reductions in its expenditure which it has submitted to the Treasury as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Philip Hammond: In line with the Government's commitment to fairness and to conducting the Spending Review in a way that protects the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, my Department is currently undertaking a robust analysis of its proposals for the Spending Review and will look closely at the effects of its spending proposals on all protected groups.
	This work includes considering the equalities impacts of particular proposals, where we consider this is helpful as part of fulfilling the Government's commitment to promoting equality for all legally protected groups.
	Where the Department has completed full equality impact assessments for prospective budget reductions which are subsequently proceeded with, the results will be made available following the Spending Review.

Departmental Public Relations

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the monetary value was of  (a) public opinion research and  (b) public relations contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years in each (i) nation and (ii) region of the UK.

Norman Baker: The information requested is not available centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Driving: Eyesight

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will consult representatives of  (a) transport organisations and  (b) optical professions on the implementation of the vision standards for driving contained in the European Directive on Driving Licences; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport will issue a public consultation before introducing any changes to UK medical licensing standards as a result of Commission Directive 2009/113/EEC which makes amendments to the minimum health standards for vision, diabetes and epilepsy. Organisations representing the transport industry and eye care professionals will be invited to comment.
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and experts from the Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Advisory Panel have been considering how the EU Directive should be applied in the UK. A public consultation is planned but no date has been confirmed for its issue.
	The medical licensing rules currently in place contribute to the UK having the safest roads in Europe. Any decisions about changing the standards cannot be taken lightly. The complications of any changes have to be considered before a consultation can be launched.

Driving: Eyesight

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers have notified the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency that their vision no longer meets the legal eyesight requirements to drive in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: The information requested is not held. Information is only available on the number of applications refused and licences revoked on eyesight grounds after the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has conducted medical checks. The figures include both visual acuity and visual field cases. Between 2005 and 2009, 6,326 driving licence applications/driving licences have been refused or revoked due to visual field defects and 2,788 due to reduced visual acuity.

Driving: Eyesight

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that drivers are informed of their responsibility to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency if their vision no longer meets the legal eyesight requirements for driving; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Driving licence application forms and associated leaflets remind drivers about their ongoing obligation to meet health standards. Specific mention is made about the requirement to be able to see clearly and to be able to read a number plate. Information is also available on DirectGov where regular reminders appear.
	The current requirement is that drivers must be able to read a standard car number plate (with glasses or corrective lenses if necessary) from 67 feet.

Driving: Eyesight

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the number plate test in assessing a person's visual fitness to drive; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Over the past year, the Department for Transport has reviewed the vision standards for drivers, including the effectiveness of the number plate test. This review has been undertaken in conjunction with the experts on the Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Vision and Driving. The review concluded that the test remains an effective, straightforward means of testing visual acuity.
	The number plate test is not just a test of acuity but also of ability to scan information accurately at a distance. The simplicity of the test enables drivers to check that their eyesight continues to meet the required standard throughout their driving career. It also allows the police to make a straightforward check if they are concerned that an individual is driving with defective eyesight.

Freight: Finance

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department plans to provide in  (a) rail and  (b) water freight operating grants in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12.

Michael Penning: In 2010-11 it is expected that approximately £20 million will be provided to industry to support the operating costs of both rail and water freight services. At present approximately £19.5 million is allocated to rail services and £0.5 million to water freight services.
	The budget for rail and water operating grants in 2011-12 is £20 million. To date £14.5 million has been allocated to rail services and £0.3 million to water freight services.

Heathrow Airport: Night Flying

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on restrictions on night flights at Heathrow Airport after October 2012.

Theresa Villiers: There have been restrictions on night flights at Heathrow for many years. The Government recognise the importance of the protections afforded by these restrictions for communities affected by aircraft noise. The restrictions are subject to periodic review. The current regime which was introduced in June 2006, will expire in October 2012. An announcement on the proposals for post 2012 will be made in due course.

Integrated Transport Authorities

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is on the creation of new integrated transport authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is happy to consider any proposals for new integrated transport authorities put forward by local authorities.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the work of the agency; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: I have regular meetings with the chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to discuss the work of the agency.

Mersey Gateway Project

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Mersey Gateway project will be considered as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Mersey Gateway project is being considered as part of the comprehensive spending review. As with other such schemes, the Government can give no assurances that it can fund this scheme until the outcome of the spending review is known.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the introduction of a redesigned Registration Certificate V5C for vehicles in the United Kingdom.

Michael Penning: The cost of the design work, production tests, IT system changes and enhanced security features was £45,700. The value of paper and information leaflet stocks that can no longer be used is £62,200.

Motorcycles: Driving Tests

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 8 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 7-8WS, on the motorcycle test, what representations he has received in his review of motorcycle tests.

Michael Penning: We have received some 475 representations on the review of the motorcycle test. The closing date for representations was 31 July and we are considering the responses. We intend to go out to public consultation on our proposals and will publish a summary of representations received in due course.
	We have received a range of representations. The main issues raised include the location and accessibility of test centres; calls for the current two module practical test to be combined into a single event test; and concerns about the way in which certain manoeuvres have been implemented, including the linking of the avoidance and controlled stop manoeuvres.

Railways

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide guidance to train operating companies on the number of automated announcements which should be made per hour on trains.

Theresa Villiers: Guidance is given to train operators on public address announcements relating, for example, to disabled access and security. It is a matter for individual train operators to consider how these are implemented on their services.
	Other franchise specific requirements are made where appropriate. For example, the Stagecoach South West franchise required the operator to make announcements on two specified routes where there is a risk of delay due to passengers boarding/alighting for passengers to move down inside the train.

Railways: Construction

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what cost benefit analysis model is being used to determine which route a future high speed rail network will take.

Philip Hammond: HS2 Ltd has produced a high level assessment of the comparative business cases of the 'reverse S' and "Y' shaped network options. In producing this assessment the company adopted the same methodology as in its work on national network configurations included in its December 2009 report. I will announce my decision on network configurations in due course.

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on the timescale for re-letting contracts for rail maintenance work which had previously been let to Jarvis;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on transferring those formerly employed by Jarvis rail maintenance work to new contractors.

Theresa Villiers: Department for Transport Ministers and officials communicate regularly with Network Rail. Contractual negotiations over the reallocation of track renewal work previously carried out by Jarvis plc are matters between Network Rail and the companies involved.
	I understand that Network Rail has now re-let the track renewals work that was undertaken by Jarvis on the London North Eastern and Midland and Continental routes, which has led to a number of staff receiving offers of employment from Babcock Rail.
	Network Rail has said that all current track renewal work is now allocated and that there are no outstanding contracts to be filled.

Regional Airports

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many flights  (a) landed at and  (b) departed from each UK airport in each of the last five years.

Theresa Villiers: A table has been placed in the Libraries of the House showing the number of flights that landed at and departed from UK airports in each year from 2005 to 2009. These figures are based on data provided to the Department by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Regional Airports

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 15 June 2010,  Official Report, column 48WS, on the South East Airports Task Force, what recent assessment has been made of the capacity for expansion of regional airports;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on the development of regional airports outside the South East; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has not made any recent assessment of the capacity for expansion of regional airports. The Government recognise the important benefits that airports contribute to regional economies. Proposals for expanding regional airports should be judged on their individual merits, taking into account relevant environmental considerations.

Regional Airports

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the likely change in the level of air traffic at regional airports by  (a) 2020,  (b) 2030,  (c) 2040 and  (d) 2050.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport published air passenger demand forecasts most recently in the document UK "Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts", in January 2009. This included traffic forecasts for 26 regional airports between 2005 and 2050.
	The following table shows the forecasts for total passengers and flights departing from regional airports in 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050.
	
		
			   Passengers (million)  Air transport movements (thousand) 
			 2020 150.5 1,743 
			 2030 196.6 2,230 
			 2040 239.9 2,621 
			 2050 271.3 2,871 
		
	
	These forecasts refer to the demand scenario 'PBR Nov 08 GDP' (using GDP forecasts from the 2008 pre-Budget report) and capacity scenario 's02' making maximum use of existing airport infrastructure.
	Further details of these scenarios and the regional airports modelled can be found in annex F of "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts", January 2009. This is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/atf/co2forecasts09/
	The Department keeps its forecasts under review and will publish updated forecasts as appropriate.

Regional Airports

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of passengers who used each UK airport in each of the last five years.

Theresa Villiers: The number of terminal passengers at UK airports is published by the Civil Aviation Authority in table 10.3 of their UK Airports Statistics series. The latest version of this table, which covers 1999 to 2009, is available on their website at the following address:
	http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/80/airport_data/2009Annual/Table_10_3_Terminal_Pax_1999_2009.pdf

Roads: Construction

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what  (a) national and  (b) regional new road schemes (i) in the East of England and (ii) nationally at an estimated cost of more than £10 million are being considered by his Department; and what assessment he has made of the cost-benefit ratio of each such scheme;
	(2)  what  (a) national and  (b) regional road improvement schemes (i) in the East of England and (ii) nationally at a projected cost of more than £10 million his Department is considering.

Michael Penning: All the national and regional new road schemes and road improvement schemes with an estimated cost greater than £10 million that are still in development are being considered as part of the Government's spending review.
	The cost:benefit ratio is one of the criteria for assessing schemes as part of the spending review.

Roads: Lighting

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the Highways Agency switches off lights on motorways after midnight; what assessment of the likely effects on road safety of that practice was made before it was adopted; and what responsibility the Highways Agency has in respect of light pollution.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency currently switches off lights between midnight and 5 am in order to:
	reduce the financial burden on the taxpayer of operating the motorway network and reduce the agency's carbon footprint;
	reduce roadworks associated with lighting maintenance and thereby reduce roadworker exposure to high speed traffic and inconvenience to road users.
	All sites where switch off at midnight takes place were subject to a detailed safety assessment. By selecting sites with a good safety record and where night-time traffic flows are low, the Highways Agency is confident there will be no adverse impact on road safety.
	The Highways Agency is required to operate the strategic road network safely and in both a financial and an environmentally responsible way. Light pollution can impact on people living near roads and on the ecology within and adjacent to Highways Agency's land.

Roads: Lighting

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will direct  (a) local authorities and  (b) the Highways Agency to ensure that highway lighting is switched on during the hours of darkness; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: It is the responsibility of the relevant local highway authority to determine whether or not highway lighting should be switched on during the hours of darkness.
	The Highways Agency is responsible for maintaining and operating the motorway and trunk road network, including installing lighting. The Highways Agency is currently switching off lights at selected sites between midnight and 5 am, following a detailed impact assessment. These sites are continuously monitored to make sure safety is not adversely affected.

Roads: Lighting

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue guidance to the Highways Agency on ensuring that road safety objectives are prioritised over steps to reduce light pollution.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency follows standards based on evidence on the link between road lighting and road safety. Measures are being taken to reduce carbon emissions across the Highways Agency's operations and this includes switching off road lighting on carefully selected sections of motorways between midnight and 5am. These sites are being monitored to ensure that safety is not adversely affected.

Roads: Litter

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with  (a) the Highways Agency and  (b) the Secretary of State for Justice the use of the Community Payback Scheme to collect litter from the verges of motorways and trunk roads in England.

Michael Penning: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice and I have discussed the use of the Community Payback Scheme to collect litter from the verges of motorways and trunk roads in England.
	The Highways Agency will take part in wider discussions with the Ministry of Justice on the type of work that can be undertaken by offenders on Community Payback including litter clearance on highways.

Sea Rescue: Voluntary Organisations

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he has issued to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the use of volunteer coastguards since 12 May 2010.

Michael Penning: Like all parts of Government, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has been asked to look carefully at its spending, including on the use of its 3,500 volunteers whose work we value highly.
	The MCA will continue to focus resources on responding to emergencies and volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers will be used for their specialist skills of search, mud and cliff rescue whenever needed. The MCA will also take appropriate opportunities to spread safety messages, for example at local events or through school visits.

Severn River Crossing: Tolls

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when credit and debit cards will be accepted as a means of payment on the Severn Bridges.

Norman Baker: Discussions between the Highways Agency and the Concessionaire, Severn River Crossings Plc, to resolve the financial issues regarding the introduction of card payments are ongoing. The work to amend the tolling software to allow for the processing of credit and debit card payments has started and I have asked the Highways Agency to aim to have this in place in time for the Ryder Cup.

Shipping: Inspections

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many mandatory expanded inspections the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has carried out on ships labelled high risk in the last 12 months.

Michael Penning: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency carried out 55 mandatory expanded inspections on high risk ships in the period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010.
	Mandatory expanded inspections are only carried out on high risk ships that have not been inspected under the same arrangements in the last 12 months.

Transport: Dorset

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will visit Dorset for the purpose of assessing the level of transport provision in that area.

Norman Baker: The Secretary of State has no plans to visit Dorset in the near future.
	It is for Dorset county council, as the local highway authority, to assess and provide transport provision for their area.

Tyres: Safety

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the safety of remoulded tyres in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport has not commissioned or evaluated any specific research on the safety of remoulded (retreaded) tyres in the last three years.
	However, commercial vehicle retreaded tyres were tested against international standards between 2007 and 2010 as part of a market surveillance programme. Of the 52 tyres tested, seven failed to meet the full performance requirements of the tests. Follow-up action is under way with the European authorities who were responsible for approving the tyres in accordance with EU procedure.

Tyres: Safety

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what data his Department hold on the incidence of  (a) new and  (b) second-hand tyre failure as a factor in road traffic accidents.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport does not hold any data on the level of new or second-hand tyre failure as a factor in road traffic accidents. When a police officer attends the scene of a personal injury road accident they can report 'tyres illegal, defective or under inflated' as a contributory factor to the accident. This was reported as a contributory factor in 860 accidents in 2009 (1% of all reported road accidents).
	Contributory factors reflect the police officer's opinion at the time of reporting, and where a factor may have contributed to the cause of an accident it may be difficult for a police officer attending the scene after the accident to identify this, so factors may be underreported. Not all reported road accidents are included in contributory factor analysis, only those where a police officer attended the scene and at least one contributory factor was reported.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Finance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost to the public purse is of the forthcoming Vehicle and Operator Services Agency nine-week campaign of spot checks of vehicle loads.

Michael Penning: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency does not have any plans to conduct a nine-week campaign of spot checks of vehicle loads.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department and its predecessors spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport (DFT) holds no stocks of wine. Generally, the Department operates a no alcohol policy.
	The Driving Standards Agency's current policy is not to provide alcohol at any events, although alcohol has been provided exceptionally in the past at some external events. The Highways Agency and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency do not purchase alcoholic drinks for any purpose. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Government Car and Despatch Agency and the Vehicle Certification Agency have not spent any money on alcohol.
	In the central Department, some limited provision of alcoholic drinks at public expense may be permitted in exceptional cases at the discretion of a senior civil servant; however these data are generally not recorded separately as they are of such low value. Since 12 May, any alcohol purchased for use within the central Department has been paid for by DFT staff, or Ministers.

TREASURY

Arm's Length Management Organisations: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 59-60WS, on Departmental arm's-length bodies, what the Barnett consequentials for Wales will be.

Danny Alexander: Any changes to arm's-length bodies will be taken into account in the spending review. The devolved Administrations will receive appropriate Barnett consequentials in the usual way.

Benefits: British Nationals Abroad

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many 
	(1)  persons received child benefit in respect of children resident in each country other than the UK in each year since 1997; how many children were the subject of such payments in each such year; and how much child benefit was paid in respect of such children in each such year;
	(2)  recipients of tax credits are eligible to receive such credits by virtue of children and dependants resident outside the UK; and how much was paid in such credits in each year since 1997.

David Gauke: Child benefit and child tax credit are intended to support families in the United Kingdom (UK). They are therefore generally payable only in respect of children resident in the UK although there are certain exceptions where child benefit and tax credits can be paid to nationals of European Economic Area (EEA) member states under EC Regulations for a child or young person resident in another member state.
	Information about the payment of child tax credit to children resident outside the UK is only available at disproportionate cost. The information requested on child benefit awards to EEA nationals in respect of children resident in another member state is not available in the format requested. However, snapshot data which are available are presented in the following table:
	
		
			  Table: Child benefit statistics relating to EEA nationals with children resident in another member state. 
			   Number of awards  Number of children in awards 
			  Country  As at October 2009  As at July 2010  As at October 2009  As at July 2010 
			 Austria 29 29 52 45 
			 Belgium 153 159 297 310 
			 Bulgaria 45 79 70 113 
			 Cyprus 51 55 82 89 
			 Czech Republic 197 175 340 295 
			 Denmark 13 18 24 32 
			 Estonia 17 19 30 29 
			 Finland 16 16 29 30 
			 France 1,256 1,266 2,346 2,343 
			 Germany 311 337 529 578 
			 Greece 51 57 81 88 
			 Hungary 96 80 172 130 
			 Iceland 2 3 4 5 
			 Italy 175 187 300 316 
			 Latvia 259 295 346 404 
			 Lithuania 747 710 1,093 1,012 
			 Luxembourg 14 15 26 28 
			 Malta 17 17 26 25 
			 Norway 45 42 92 79 
			 Poland 22,858 17,212 37,941 28,760 
			 Portugal 222 233 329 346 
			 Republic of Ireland 883 957 1,818 1,972 
			 Romania 36 75 53 130 
			 Slovakia 1,483 1,180 2,573 2,051 
			 Slovenia 5 6 7 9 
			 Spain 741 796 1,230 1,322 
			 Sweden 57 65 107 130 
			 Switzerland 104 113 216 235 
			 The Netherlands 185 197 373 390 
		
	
	The value of the benefit paid is only available at disproportionate costs because under the EC social security co-ordinating regulations not all awards of child benefit in respect of children living in other member states are made at the full UK rate.

BP: Gulf of Mexico

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of seeking an exemption from tax rules to ensure that BP is not entitled to tax deductions in respect of any costs associated with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

David Gauke: The corporation tax rules already limit deductions for costs incurred on overseas operations. In general costs may only be deducted in computing UK profits where those costs relate to a business carried on by a UK tax resident company or branch. No deduction is allowed for fines, penalties and damages incurred in respect of infractions of the law. Specific rules also ensure that tax revenues from UK oil and gas production cannot be reduced by expenses incurred in other activities.

Cash Dispensing: Fees and Charges

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of cash machines which charge customers for transactions.

Mark Hoban: Statistics from the LINK network, to which all cash machines in the UK are connected, show that at the end of June 2010 there were 40,600 free-to-use cash machines and 22,448 charging cash machines in the UK. According to the same source, 97% of withdrawals in 2009 were made from free-to-use machines.

Child Benefit

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2010,  Official Report, column 912W, on child benefit, 
	(1)  for what reasons the information provided in the answer does not give the requested figures for the new Worsley and Eccles South constituency;
	(2)  what account he took in providing the answer of the guidance in paragraph 7.37 of the Cabinet Office Guide to Parliamentary Work, on referring to websites or other published material.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 936W.

Child Trust Fund

Nick Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many child trust funds have been opened since their introduction.

Mark Hoban: Statistical information about child trust funds is published on HM Revenue and Customs' website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/stats.htm
	This shows that 5.237 million child trust fund accounts had been opened by 15 June 2010.

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Justine Greening: Neither the Treasury nor any of its agencies or non-departmental bodies has sold any buildings since 2005.

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much office space per employee his Department occupied in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: Government Departments have been gathering property benchmarking data, including the amount of office space used per full-time equivalent employee, under the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) High Performing Property Initiative since 2007. These data have been published annually since 2008 by the OGC in its reports on the State of the Government Estate, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Equivalent information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Communication

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what instructions have been issued by the private office of each Minister in his Department on the preparation of briefing, speeches and replies to official correspondence.

Justine Greening: General guidance for briefing Ministers is provided on the HM Treasury intranet. The guidance includes briefing for meetings, submissions, speeches and correspondence. It is up to individual Ministers to commission or tailor further briefing to meet their specific needs.

Departmental Conferences

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on  (a) organisation of and  (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: Spending on conferences by the Treasury since 2002-03 is shown in the following table. Information on attendance at conferences is not held centrally and information prior to 2002-03, when a new accounting system was introduced, is not available without incurring disproportionate costs.
	
		
			   £000 
			 2002-03 431 
			 2003-04 771 
			 2004-05 494 
			 2005-06 317 
			 2006-07 456 
			 2007-08 370 
			 2008-09 524 
			 2009-10 338

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury did not have any vacant property during this period.

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many chairs his Department has purchased in each year since 1997; how much it spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Justine Greening: The Treasury does not keep a central record of chairs purchased and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure the  (a) screening for and  (b) immediate removal of offensive posts made on his Department's Spending Challenge website; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The Government are taking an entirely new approach to the Spending Review by consulting directly with those whose taxes pay for public services. The Spending Challenge public website is a key part of this, and has received over 19,000 ideas and 32,000 comments so far, building on the 65,000 ideas submitted by public sector workers.
	The vast majority of comments are constructive and helpful and will feed into the tough decisions that must be made in the Spending Review. We want to encourage open debate but we are clear that offensive ideas and comments are not welcome, under the website's clear and strict moderation policy.
	In response to a small number of malicious attacks we have taken action to disable certain interactive features on the website. These measures are designed to prevent malicious use but still allow the public to have their say on the Spending Challenge and we are continuing to encourage people to submit their ideas online. As previously, we will look at as many ideas as possible and the best ones will be considered as part of the Spending Review, which will be concluded on 20 October.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines his Department applies to moderation of comments made on its websites.

Justine Greening: In general, HM Treasury websites do not have the functionality to allow site visitors to make comments.
	The Spending Challenge website was built and implemented as a joint exercise between No. 10, Cabinet Office, Directgov, HM Treasury and a private sector partner called Delib. HM Treasury facilitated access to the Spending Challenge website via its own departmental site.
	The Spending Challenge site has a strict moderation policy, which can be found in the comment and privacy policy page of the website:
	http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/privacy_policy
	A dedicated team keep a close eye on the content posted and continue to remove the minority of ideas and comments that are not appropriate as soon as possible.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many of his Department's contracts with its suppliers are under review as a result of the recently announced reductions in public expenditure; and what the monetary value is of all such contracts which are under review;
	(2)  how many officials in his Department are working on renegotiating contracts for the supply of goods and services to the Department as a result of recently announced reductions in public spending; what savings are expected to accrue to his Department from such renegotiations; how much expenditure his Department will incur on such renegotiations; and when such renegotiations will be completed.

Justine Greening: The Efficiency and Reform Group within the Cabinet Office is leading on the review and renegotiation of Government contracts across all Government Departments. The review will identify priority contracts for renegotiation. The Treasury will focus its resources on reviewing the contracts with its top 10 suppliers, representing approximately 60% of total procurement expenditure. Work supporting this initiative has been, and will continue to be undertaken by the Treasury's own officials. At this stage it cannot be determined how many Treasury officials will be working on renegotiating contracts nor what cost savings are expected. At this stage it is not possible to determine when contract renegotiations will be complete.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on savings (2010-11), under what budgetary headings the £451 million of savings allocated to his Department will be made.

Justine Greening: The Chancellor's Department's share of the savings announced on 26 May 2010 will be split between HM Revenue and Customs comprising £320 million in annually managed expenditure and £125 million in departmental expenditure limits (DEL), and HM Treasury, where £6 million savings will be found from within DEL.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years.

Justine Greening: Details of the amounts paid by the Treasury in rent for properties is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Region  £000 
			 2005-06 East Anglia 819 
			 2006-07 East Anglia 819 
			 2007-08 East Anglia 819 
			 2008-09 East Anglia 963 
			 2009-10 East Anglia . 481 
		
	
	No other amount was spent by the Treasury in rent for properties in other regions or nations of the United Kingdom.

Education: Finance

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that the Consumer Financial Education Body should fund training in financial capability for school-aged children and young people; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB) is an independent body and, while the CFEB must consult the Treasury when preparing its budget and annual plan, HM Treasury has no power to direct the CFEB to fund any activity, including training in financial capability for school-aged children and young people. The Government welcome the CFEB's decision to fund support for financial education in schools until March 2011 through the 'Learning Money Matters' programme.

Electric Vehicles

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make funding available for the second round of the Plugged In Places scheme to support the roll-out of a charging infrastructure for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Philip Hammond: I have been asked to reply.
	I confirmed on 28 July that the Plugged-In Places initiative is ongoing and final funding will be decided in the spending review.

European Investment Bank

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value is of the UK's current liabilities to the European Investment Bank.

Justine Greening: As of 22 July 2010, the outstanding amount of disbursed loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to UK public sector entities is £1,725 million. In addition, loans from the EIB to UK public sector entities amounting to £850 million have been signed but not yet disbursed.
	The UK is also a shareholder in the EIB. It has subscribed to 16.17% of the Bank's capital, representing €37,578 million. Of this amount, €1,879 million is paid-up capital. The remainder, €35,699 million, is callable capital.

Financial Services: Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide financial incentives to businesses in the financial services sector to enable their staff to volunteer in schools to support the provision of financial literacy teaching; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government welcome the important contribution made by volunteers from financial services firms in supporting financial capability teaching in schools and helping to raise levels of financial capability among young people. A wide range of financial services firms already encourage and support their staff to volunteer in schools, recognising that promoting financial education volunteering brings benefits for the business and for staff.

Foreign Investment in UK: Israel

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of foreign direct investment from Israel  (a) in total,  (b) in each sector and  (c) in each industry sector in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply-to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the monetary value was of foreign direct investment from Israel  (a) in total,  (b) in each sector and  (c) in each industry sector in each of the last five years. (10558)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces estimates for UK Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) based on survey data collected by the ONS and Bank of England. Headline figures from the annual surveys are published in a Statistical Bulletin, "Foreign Direct Investment", which is available from the UK National Statistics website. The latest figures available at the level of counterpart country are for the year 2008.
	Data on the inward investment flows and positions (levels) from Israel to the UK for 2004 to 2008 are provided in the attached table. Further breakdowns by sector and industry are not available because this could be commercially disclosive.
	
		
			  Net foreign direct investment in the UK by Israel: United Kingdom, 2004 - 08 
			  £ million 
			   Investment flows  Investment position( 1)  (level) 
			 2004 0 233 
			 2005 442 724 
			 2006 40 771 
			 2007 30 855 
			 2008 101 765 
			 (1 )Position at the end of each tear  Source:  Annual Inward Foreign Direct Investment surveys

Green Investment Bank

James Wharton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what process will be used to decide on the location of the proposed Green Investment Bank; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The Government are considering a wide range of options for the scope and structure of the Green Investment Bank and will put forward detailed proposals following the spending review.

Office for Budget Responsibility: Public Appointments

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish his Department's correspondence with Sir Alan Budd on his appointment as Head of the Office of Budget Responsibility.

Justine Greening: All correspondence between the Treasury and Sir Alan Budd on his appointment as Chair of the interim Office for Budget Responsibility has been published and is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/foi_obr_posts.htm

Office for Tax Simplification

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral answer of 20 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 175-6, on the Office of Tax Simplification, to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill, 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent civil servants of each grade work in the Office of Tax Simplification;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely total salary bill for the Office of Tax Simplification in the next year;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the likely number of secondees from the private sector to be employed by the Office of Tax Simplification in the next 12 months.

David Gauke: Michael Jack and John Whiting, who are leading the Office for the first year, will not be paid. They will be supported by a small secretariat to be appointed over the summer.
	The secretariat will include three full-time officials from the Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs. One of these officials will be a Grade 6 official, the other two will be Higher Executive Officers. It is estimated that the annual salary bill for the secretariat will be around £220,000, consisting of gross salary, employer National Insurance contributions and superannuation costs. These costs will be met from within existing Treasury and HMRC budgets.
	It is expected that the secretariat will also include around three externally funded secondees.

Pre-Budget Reports

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the pre-Budget report process.

Justine Greening: The Government are considering the timing and nature of pre-Budget announcements on taxation. They will report on this in the autumn.

Public Expenditure

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral statement of 17 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 1040-1, on public spending, what criteria his Department used to determine which projects were affordable.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 27 July 2010
	On 17 June I announced the outcome of a review of all Government spending agreed by the previous Government between 1 January and the general election. Projects were assessed in light of spending plans for 2010-11 and the next spending period and were cancelled where they were not affordable, did not represent good value for money, or did not reflect the Government's priorities.

Public Expenditure: Houghton-le-Spring

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value is of each capital project in Houghton and Sunderland South constituency to which funding had been allocated which is under review.

Danny Alexander: On 17 June I announced the outcome of a review of 217 projects that had been submitted to the Treasury for re-approval. These projects included both capital and resource expenditure. Twelve projects were cancelled as they did not demonstrate value for money and a further 12 projects were suspended as more detailed work is needed as part of the spending review process. None of these projects were in the constituency of Houghton and Sunderland. A list of the projects cancelled and suspended along with their constituency can be found in the response to the hon. Member for Wigan's (Lisa Nandy) parliamentary question-7 July 2010,  Official Report, column 294W. I also laid in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament a full list of projects that were not cancelled or suspended as part of this exercise:
	http://www.parliament.uk/deposits/depositedpapers/2010/DEP2010-1327.doc

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 22 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS, on regional government, whether the closure of regional government offices will have a Barnett consequential for Wales.

Danny Alexander: The Government have announced an intention in principle to abolish the Government Office network. Final decisions will be made at the end of the Spending Review in the autumn. Any resultant consequentials will form part of the Spending Review 2010 settlement for the Devolved Administrations.

Public Sector: Manpower

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the changes in the number of public sector jobs in  (a) the UK and  (b) Wales arising from the measures proposed in the June 2010 Budget.

Danny Alexander: The Office for Budget Responsibility released further information on its employment forecast on 30 June 2010, which can be found on the following webpage:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/publications.html
	The OBR has not published forecasts on a sub-national level.

Public Sector: Redundancies

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the economy of  (a) the North West and  (b) the South East of a reduction in the number of public sector jobs attributable to reductions in public expenditure.

Danny Alexander: Future public spending allocations will be decided in the forthcoming spending review.

Rents: East Lothian

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of the 50th percentile rent for properties with  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) five bedrooms in East Lothian constituency in 2010-11.

David Gauke: This is a matter for the devolved Administration.

Revenue and Customs

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who the members were of the Inland Revenue Advisory Group established in May 1995 to examine the work, staffing and organisation of the tax districts responsible for that Department's largest and most complex cases; how many reports the Group produced; on what dates; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such report.

David Gauke: The members of the Advisory Group which examined the work of the of the Inland Revenue tax districts responsible for the Department's largest and most complex cases were:
	
		
			  Member  
			 Steve Matheson Deputy Chairman 
			 Keith Deacon Director, Quality Development Division 
			 Michael Johns Director, Business Operations Division 
			 Jonathan Leigh-Pemberton Business Operations Division 
			 John Gribbon Director, Business Profits Division 
			 Dick Jones Controller, Large Groups Office 
			 Tom Cawdron Deputy Controller, Large Groups Office 
			 Tony Sleeman Controller, South Yorkshire REO 
			 Graeme Fisher District Inspector, Liverpool Blackfriars 
			 Dariel Francis District Inspector, City 25 
			 Iain Mcniven District Inspector, Leeds 2 TDO 
			 Ron Haigh Assistant Director, International Division 
			 Kevin Hamer International Division 
			 David Carr Pollard Review 
			 Jeremy Grinyer Board Support 
		
	
	The group produced a draft report in September 1995, which was made final in November 1995. A copy of the report has been placed in the House of Commons Library. A few passages have been redacted to remove references to particular taxpayers, in accordance with HM Revenue & Customs' statutory duty of confidentiality.
	A smaller Advisory Group was appointed to be the project board for implementing the changes that flowed from the report. Its members were:
	Steve Matheson (Chair)
	Tom Cawdron (until December 1995)
	Bernard Staples
	Hazel Colclough (from December 1995)
	Tony Johnson
	Robert Peel
	No copies of this group's further recommendations have been retained.

Revenue and Customs

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Bristol Large Business Office (BLBO) of the Inland Revenue was created; on what date the offices of tax districts which came to comprise it were co-located; and on what date the BLBO joined the National Large Business Office.

David Gauke: The Bristol Large Business Office was formed around June 1996. It was formed from four tax districts which had been co-located in Bristol since 1987, when three were moved from the West End of London.
	Bristol Large Business Office joined the National Large Business Office on 1 August 1997.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Kevin Barron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the figures published by HM Revenue and Customs on revenue earned from tobacco duty include value added tax.

Justine Greening: The figures published by HM Revenue and Customs on revenue earned from tobacco duty do not include value added tax receipts. They refer to the specific and ad valorem tobacco duties only.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Kevin Barron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what methodology his Department uses to estimate lost excise duty revenue on smuggled tobacco products;
	(2)  what methodology his Department uses to estimate lost excise duty revenue on illicit tobacco products.

Justine Greening: HM Revenue and Customs' methodology used to estimate lost excise duty revenue for smuggled and illicit tobacco products was published in 'Measuring Tax Gaps-2009' in November 2009 which is available in the House of Commons Library and at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps.htm

Social Security Benefits

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Budget Red Book, page 40, Table 2.1, line 22, how many  (a) households,  (b) men and  (c) women are in receipt of each of the (i) benefits, (ii) tax credits and (iii) public service pensions to be uprated in line with the consumer price index.

David Gauke: The tabulation tool on the DWP website provides the latest available case loads in Great Britain for all the main social security benefits administered by DWP, and also provides an analysis by gender.
	The latest available statistics on tax credit and child benefit recipients and beneficiaries are available on the HMRC website. The gender split of children supported through child benefit and child tax credit can be assumed using the Office for National Statistics' published population estimates.
	Statistics on the number of members of public service pension schemes are available from each scheme's published resource accounts. A detailed gender breakdown for each scheme is not readily available, and therefore the Treasury has assumed a similar breakdown to the wider public service population.

Social Security Benefits

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Budget Red Book, page 40, Table 2.1, line 22, which  (a) benefits,  (b) tax credits and  (c) public service pensions are to be uprated in line with the consumer price index.

David Gauke: This measure will cover all benefits and tax credits that were previously uprated by either the retail price index or Rossi index. This change will also apply to public service pensions through the statutory link to the indexation of the state second pension.

Social Security Benefits: Expenditure

Andrew Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the net effect on the public purse of the changes to spending on social security benefits and tax credits referred to in table C14 of the June 2010 Budget Red Book was of revisions to economic forecasts made for that Budget by the Office for Budget Responsibility;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the net effect on the public purse of changes to spending on social security benefits and tax credits in table C14 of the June 2010 Budget Red Book attributable to  (a) the direct effect of policy decisions taken before the Budget and  (b) the overall measures in the Budget;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of the changes to current receipts in each year of the forecast period in table C12 of the June 2010 Budget Red Book were due to  (a) the direct effect of policy decisions adopted before the Budget and  (b) the overall measures in the Budget;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the effect on the public purse of changes resulting from revisions to economic forecasts made by the Office for Budget Responsibility to current receipts in each year of the forecast period in table C12 of the June 2010 Budget Red Book.

David Gauke: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility, which has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Graham Parker, dated 20 August 2010:
	As a member of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), I have been asked to reply to your recent questions-PQs 12580, 12581, 12582 and 12583.
	Following your requests for supplementary information on its forecasts, the Office for Budget Responsibility released the information concerning changes to tax receipts, social security and tax credits forecasts between the pre-Budget forecast and the Budget on its website
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/publications.html
	on 19 August 2010. This is consistent with the interim OBR's release policy
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/d/interim_release_process.pdf
	Copies of the published material have also been placed in the Library of the House.

Tax Allowances: Offenders

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the merits of offering tax breaks to companies who employ former offenders.

David Gauke: The Government's emergency Budget contained measures which will give businesses the confidence to invest, whilst reducing the burden of tax and regulation. These will encourage firms to create new jobs, enabling those out of work, for whatever reason, back into the labour market.

Tax Evasion

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of tax evasion by individuals involved in serious and organised crime.

David Gauke: Protecting Tax Revenues 2009 provides an overview of HMRC's approach to combating criminal attacks on the tax system:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2009/protect-tax-revenue-5450.htm
	Examples of success in the last year include the disruption of a major criminal organisation behind a concerted attempt to make false Income Tax Self Assessment repayment claims and the introduction of new legislation to stop a form of VAT Missing Trader Intra-Community (MTIC) fraud in connection with trading of emissions allowances (often called 'carbon credits').
	As result of HMRC's work, losses to organised crime have been reduced in relation to cigarettes fraud by over £1.2 billion since 2000 and spirits and diesel fraud by £150 million and £650 million since 2003-04 respectively. Attempted VAT MTIC fraud has also fallen by up to £3 billion since 2005-06.

Tax Evasion

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Serious Organised Crime Agency on the prosecution of individuals involved in serious and organised crime for tax evasion.

David Gauke: HMRC works closely with all other UK law enforcement agencies both to tackle organised crime attacks against the Exchequer and also to help with the wider efforts to disrupt serious organised crime. The focus of this activity is the Organised Crime Partnership Board (OCPB), which meets monthly, and is made up of HMRC, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the UK Border Agency and the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
	HMRC also has a memorandum of understanding with SOCA setting out how they will work together and they also engage bilaterally regularly at the strategic, policy and operational levels to co-ordinate and maximise joint capabilities.
	The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for deciding whether to prosecute and for carrying out all prosecutions originating from HMRC criminal investigations.

Tax Evasion

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue lost to the Exchequer due to tax evasion arising from serious and organised crime in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: In "Protecting Tax Revenues 2009"
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2009/protect-tax-revenue-5450.pdf
	published alongside the 2009 pre-Budget report, HMRC estimated that criminal attacks accounted for 12.5% of the total tax gap of £40 billion in 2007-08.

Tax Yields: Entertainments

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the contribution of the British amusements industry to  (a) Exchequer receipts from tax and duty and  (b) the economy in each of the last three years.

Justine Greening: The amusement industry in the UK is subject to various tax regimes including amusement machine licence duty (AMLD) and VAT.
	The following table shows HMRC revenue figures from AMLD for the last three years, which are available at:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullbett
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2007-08 220 
			 2008-09 213 
			 2009-10 216 
		
	
	VAT revenue figures are not split down sufficiently to provide information for the amusement industry explicitly.
	The Office for National Statistics measures the industry's contribution to the economy as gross value added (GVA). Although GVA figures are not available for the amusement industry, a breakdown is available for gambling and betting activities, as well as for fair and amusement park activities, as follows:
	
		
			  Approximate GVA at basic prices 
			  £ million 
			   2006  2007  2008 
			 Gambling and betting activities 3,850 4,503 4,552 
			 Fair and amusement park activities 365 348 334

Tax Yields: Public Houses

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the contribution of the British pub industry to  (a) Exchequer receipts and  (b) the economy in each of the last 10 years.

Justine Greening: The contribution of the British pub industry to exchequer receipts has not been estimated. Figures from alcohol duty receipts in the UK are published monthly by HMRC in the alcohol duty bulletin, available at:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullAlcohol
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) provide estimates of the contribution of pubs and bars to the UK economy, measured as the approximate gross value added (GVA) at basic prices. Figures for the latest 10 years for which data are available are given in the following table.
	
		
			   GVA (£ million) 
			 1999 5,699 
			 2000 5,742 
			 2001 6,174 
			 2002 6,612 
			 2003 6,792 
			 2004 7,951 
			 2005 7,298 
			 2006 7,739 
			 2007 7,358 
			 2008 7,297 
			  Source: ONS

Taxation

Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition of  (a) a regressive and  (b) a progressive tax he uses.

David Gauke: A progressive tax is one where the impact on lower income or expenditure households or individuals is smaller than the impact on higher income or expenditure households or individuals. Annex A in Budget 2010 shows the combined impact of tax and benefit changes on households relative to their overall income or expenditure.

Taxation: Aviation

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his review of aviation tax will include  (a) a consideration of change in the rate of air passenger duty and  (b) introduction of a per-flight duty; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The Budget announced that the Government will explore changes to the aviation tax system, including switching from a per-passenger to a per-plane duty. Major changes will be subject to consultation.

Taxation: Gambling

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors he took into account in setting the rate of gross profits tax levied on  (a) bingo clubs and  (b) bookmakers.

Justine Greening: The rates of general betting duty and bingo duty were set by the previous Government. The previous Government reduced the rate of bingo duty from 22% to 20% at the March 2010 Budget. The June 2010 Budget left rates unchanged. All taxes, including gambling taxes, are kept under review.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: Spend on taxis for 2002-03 to 2009-10 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2002-03 163 
			 2003-04 151 
			 2004-05 149 
			 2005-06 181 
			 2006-07 188 
			 2007-08 216 
			 2008-09 219 
			 2009-10 211 
		
	
	As a result of the introduction of a new accounting system in 2002-03, provision of information prior to that date could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by his Department for use by trade unions in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: Payments to trade unions since 2002-03 are shown in the following table. Information on prior years is not available due to the introduction of a new accounting system in 2002-03.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 0 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 145 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2008-09 930 
			 2009-10 170 
		
	
	Inline with the ACAS Code of Practice "Time off for Trades Union Duties and Activities" the Treasury allocates facilities in the form of office space and access to computer and telephone equipment for use by the department's trades union representative. At current prices the value of the facilities is approximately £22,000 per annum. Figures for earlier years are not available without incurring disproportionate costs.

VAT

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the average proportion of gross income which the poorest 20% of households composed of retired people will pay in value added tax in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the effects of the planned increase in the standard rate of value added tax on the average  (a) household composed of retired people and  (b) retired individual in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to reducing the Budget deficit while supporting the most vulnerable. The Emergency Budget demonstrated this commitment by confirming that the Government will uprate the basic state pension by a triple guarantee of earnings, prices and 2%-whichever is highest-from April 2011, benefiting over 11 million pensioners. The Government will increase the basic state pension in April 2011 by at least the equivalent of RPI.
	Using gross rather than net income to assess the proportionate impact of tax and benefit changes takes no account of the impact of support to pensioners, such as the above-indexation increase in April 2011 to the standard minimum income guarantee in pension credit, which helps households achieve higher levels of consumption. Looking at this higher consumption without the support that helped enable it may provide a misleading picture of the overall impacts.
	As such the analysis in Annex A of the Budget has been based on net incomes. No estimate has been made of the average proportion of gross income which the poorest 20% of households composed of retired people will pay in value added tax in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

VAT

Wayne David: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that all goods and services specifically for children attract the same rate of value added tax as children's books.

David Gauke: Most books, including children's picture books and painting books, are currently zero-rated for VAT. However, agreements with our EU partners prevent us from extending the scope of existing zero rates, or introducing new ones. We could not therefore extend the zero rate to all goods and services specifically for children.

VAT

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the future level of value added tax; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Treasury receives representations on a wide range of issues. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.
	A full range of views on the future rate of VAT was aired during the recent passage of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2010 in July this year.

VAT: Gyms

Karen Lumley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rate of value added tax is applicable to membership fees of gymnasiums and health clubs in  (a) public and  (b) private ownership.

David Gauke: Under EU VAT agreements, sporting services are exempt when supplied by certain non-profit making organisations, such as sports and leisure trusts and when supplied by members' clubs to their members. However, these services are taxable at the standard rate of VAT when supplied by local authorities and commercial organisations, and by members' clubs to persons who are not members.
	Membership fees therefore also follow this VAT treatment when they are payment for sporting services. 'Social' memberships, which do not confer any rights to participate in sporting activities, are always taxable at the standard rate of VAT.

VAT: Scotland

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will undertake an impact assessment in respect of the effect on Scotland of the increase in value added tax.

David Gauke: The VAT increase should be considered in the context of the Budget, which sets out a plan for dealing decisively with the deficit, which will be to the benefit of everyone across the United Kingdom. The Budget documentation, notably annexes A and C of the June 2010 Budget Book, describe the impact of the Budget and of the increase in the rate of VAT.

Welfare Tax Credits: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were asked in error to repay tax credits in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency,  (b) the London borough of Bexley and  (c) Greater London in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: This information is not available, as HMRC's systems do not provide information on disputes related to tax credits by geographical area other than the UK as a whole.

Welfare Tax Credits: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency,  (b) the London borough of Bexley and  (c) Greater London have been asked to repay tax credits in each year since their creation; and what the monetary value was of those requested repayments in each of those years.

David Gauke: The number of tax credits awards, and the amounts, that were overpaid by each parliamentary constituency, are available in the HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments. Geographical Analysis". The figures are available for 2003-09, and can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: Wine or other forms of alcoholic refreshments are not separately recorded within the Treasury's accounting system and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to question 7850, tabled on 7 July 2010, on the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Justine Greening: A reply was given to the hon. Member today.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he plans to answer question 7901, on equality impact assessment of the June 2010 Budget, tabled on 7 July by the right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford;
	(2)  when he plans to answer question 7212, on the effect of the June 2010 Budget on men and women, tabled on 6 July 2010 by the right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford.

Justine Greening: A reply was given to the right hon. Member on 22 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 520-21W.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Diplomatic Service

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of his Department's staff formerly based at the British Embassy in Bogota were subsequently serving at the British Embassy in Kabul in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The method used to record internal appointments in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office means that we cannot provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid his Department has allocated to Afghanistan in each year since 2002.

Alistair Burt: All UK civilian funding in Afghanistan is aligned to strategic priorities and subject to a robust planning regime. A programme office, based in Kabul, oversees governance processes that monitor expenditure and reports progress. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's funding is made up of three categories: the Strategic Programme Fund, which supports the Government's most important international goals; the Bilateral Programme Budget, which is used to enhance bilateral relations between two countries; and the Conflict Pool, a tri-departmental pool created to enhance the effectiveness of the UK's contribution towards conflict prevention and management. The following tables give their total allocation figures for each year since 2002. This includes the total amount of the Conflict Pool available to the Ministry of Defence, the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as the pool is not divided into three parts but allocated on a project-by-project basis throughout the year to the three departments.
	These programme funds do not, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not, directly administer aid to Afghanistan. Rather, these are funds available for development-related programmes and projects on or in Afghanistan.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Financial year  Total 
			 2002-03 18,000,000.00 
			 2003-04 23,800,000.00 
			 2004-05 25,629,534.00 
			 2005-06 20,000,000.00 
			 2006-07 41,396,004.00 
			 2007-09 43,080,788.00 
			 2008-009 86,296,232.00 
			 2009-10 83,925,000.00 
			 2010-11 86,660,000.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Financial year  SPF  BPB  Conflict Pool 
			 2002-03 - - 18,000,000.00 
			 2003-04 - - 23,800,000.00 
			 2004-05 - - 25,629,534.00 
			 2005-06 - - 20,000,000.00 
			 2006-07 18,021,004.00 - 23,375,000.00 
			 2007-08 14,880,788 - 28,200,000.00 
			 2008-09 32,606,232 - 53,690,000.00 
			 2009-10 11,700,000 425,000 71,800,000.00 
			 2010-11 18,000,000 160,000 68,500,000

Arms Control: UN Resolutions

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 of 2004 on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Alistair Burt: There is no one single piece of legislation covering the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, but a wide range of national UK legislation is compatible with our obligations under the Resolution. The Biological Weapons Act, Chemicals Weapons Act, the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, the Export Control Act, are examples of some of the UK legislation in place that meet UNSCR 1540 requirements. Regulations are also in place covering the storage and transport of materials to ensure the UK is in compliance with international guidelines. In addition to this the UK has recently ratified both the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and the Amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. The UK is working with other international organisations such as the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and through the G8 to promote UNSCR 1540 implementation and bi-laterally to assist countries with adherence.
	A full list of UK legislation is available at:
	http://www.un.Org/sc/1540/nationalreports.shtml#U

Brazil: Dams

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Brazil on the ecological effect of the proposed construction of dams in the Amazon.

Jeremy Browne: Our embassy in Brasilia is closely following the proposed construction of dams in the Brazilian Amazon. As a rapidly developing economy, Brazil has many difficult decisions to make about how it can ensure that its development is as sustainable as possible, and not at the expense of Brazil's rainforests and the cultures and livelihoods of the indigenous peoples that live within them.
	The Brazilian Environment Agency, IBAMA, is tasked with ensuring that construction processes comply with the environmental criteria set out in construction licences. These aim to minimise the impact of the construction and operation of the dams on the environment and on local communities.
	The United Kingdom regularly makes clear to the Brazilian Government, both bilaterally and with our European partners, the importance we attach to these issues. We will continue to do so.

Burma: China

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on defence collaboration between China and Burma, with particular reference to the purchase by Burma of the K-8 aircraft from China.

Jeremy Browne: We are aware of media reports alleging that the Burmese military regime purchased K-8 aircraft from China.
	The EU has had a comprehensive arms embargo in place against Burma for a number of years. Moreover, the Government are committed to the view that no one should be selling arms to a military regime with an appalling human rights record.
	The Chinese Government are well aware of our concerns over arms sales to a country where the military is involved in violent suppression of its citizens.

Burma: Nuclear Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent reports that Burma is attempting to acquire nuclear weapons.

Jeremy Browne: We are aware of recent media reporting suggesting that Burma may be seeking to develop military nuclear capability. We take such issues very seriously, and remind all states to adhere to their obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and all relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
	We continue to urge Burma to act strictly in accordance with its obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, to abide by the terms and conditions of its International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards Agreement and to declare all nuclear material in its possession.
	Our ambassador to Rangoon has lobbied the Burmese regime on their obligations under UN sanctions and raised proliferation concerns with senior members of the military regime. Burma cannot afford to risk the grave consequences of breaching the measures that have been adopted to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Central African Republic: Armed Conflict

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent reports of violence in the north of the Central African Republic; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: We are concerned about recent reports of violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), due to conflict between rebel groups and the CAR authorities.
	We encourage all parties to fully engage with the government of CAR in its Disarmament, Demobilisation and Rehabilitation (DDR) process, to make progress towards reconciliation, and to provide the necessary stability for elections early next year. The UK also supports the efforts of the UN Peace Building Office (BINUCA) which is working to encourage the DDR process as well as reform of the security sector. We also support the UN peacekeeping operation MINURCAT's work to protect civilians and promote human rights and regional peace until its mandate ends in December 2010.
	While we do not have direct representation in CAR, we continue to engage with non-governmental organisations and international stakeholders on the political, humanitarian and security situation in the country.

Central African Republic: Armed Conflict

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Government is providing to the MINURCAT mission.

Henry Bellingham: As a Permanent Member of the Security Council, we provide financial support for MINURCAT through our obligatory financial contributions to UN peacekeeping. So far this financial year (2010-11), we have provided £9.7 million to the mission. As MINURCAT is due to withdraw in December 2010, our total contribution will be confirmed after negotiations on MINURCAT's final budget have been concluded in the General Assembly later this year.

Departmental Allowances

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on  (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and  (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in each year since 1997.

Alistair Burt: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Alistair Burt: Sales of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) properties from April 2006 to date are set out in the following table listing the type of property, location, date of sale and approximate sterling receipt (gross). Details of earlier FCO sales, and property sales by agencies and non-departmental public bodies, are not held centrally and to provide such further detail would incur disproportionate cost.
	It was agreed in the 1997 comprehensive spending review settlement that the FCO should retain 100% of the proceeds from property sales for re-investment, up to an agreed ceiling for each spending review period, which has not been exceeded. Funds generated from the sale of FCO estate assets have been recycled into the Department's capital budget for reinvestment in the estate. The FCO always ensures best value for money in all asset sales.
	
		
			  FCO property sales( 1) 
			  Sale date  Location  Property type  Gross proceeds (£) 
			  2006
			 10 April Montreal Residence 693,000 
			 11 April Wellington Residential 124,000 
			 27 April Wellington Residential 105,000 
			 15 May Bangkok Compound 49,927,000 
			 19 May Kampala Office 2,106,000 
			 12 June Ottawa Residential 129,000 
			 14 June Asuncion Office (2)106,000 
			 21 June Stanley Residential 90,000 
			 26 June Rio de Janeiro Residence 264,000 
			 30 June Stockholm Residential 386,000 
			 13 July Tel Aviv Residential 191,000 
			 16 August Kingstown Residence 184,000 
			 25 August Bordeaux Residence 753,000 
			 26 September Nassau Residence 462,000 
			 
			  2007
			 13 February Vienna Residence 1,161,000 
			 16 March Mbabane Residence 205,000 
			 16 March Mbabane Residential 113,000 
			 16 March Mbabane Residential 88,000 
			 4 April Windhoek Residential 89,000 
			 5 April Windhoek Residential 60,000 
			 30 June Copenhagen Residential 357,000 
			 30 June Madrid Residential 476,000 
			 28 August Chicago Residential 399,000 
			 17 September Seattle Residence 773,000 
			 9 October Maseru Residential 64,900 
			 9 October Maseru Residential 45,400 
			 26 October Abidjan Residential 85,274 
			 7 November Seoul Residential 1,551,732 
			 31 December The Hague Residential 1,076,441 
			 
			  2008
			 1 January Copenhagen Residential 491,338 
			 4 January Lisbon Residence 6,718,441 
			 28 February Maseru Residence 121,530 
			 4 March Paris Residential 227,773 
			 7 March Paris Residential 227,773 
			 10 March Paris Residential 279,402 
			 10 March Paris Residential 265,735 
			 18 March Paris Residential 318,882 
			 19 March Paris Residential 455,546 
			 20 March Paris Residential 341,660 
			 25 March Paris Residential 330,271 
			 16 May Dublin Residence 6,469,066 
			 2 June Amsterdam Residence 3,195,266 
			 5 June Tallinn Land 606,408 
			 17 June Madrid Office 39,842,209 
			 25 June Wellington Residential 332,436 
			 2 July Cape Town Residence 576,048 
			 8 July Wellington Residential 236,562 
			 1 August Stockholm Residential 634,714 
			 8 August Durban Residence 174,568 
			 22 August Buenos Aires Residential 144,645 
			 25 August Ottawa Residential 153,606 
			 2 September Manila Office 1,480,908 
			 30 September Wellington Residential 244,004 
			 17 October Ottawa Residential 352,306 
			 10 October Wellington Residential 206,381 
			 17 November Ottawa Residential 406,355 
			 7 November Wellington Residential 122,026 
			 18 December Madrid Residential 1,950,222 
			 31 December Lilongwe Residential 186,396 
			 
			  2009
			 1 April Lima Residential 123,720 
			 1 April Victoria (Seychelles) Residential 310,000 
			 8 May Lilongwe Residential 129,305 
			 8 May Lilongwe Residential 129,305 
			 22 May Dar Es Salaam Residential 495,121 
			 26 May Abidjan Residential 92,497 
			 11 September Kingstown Office 246,716 
			 17 February Abidjan Office 202,500 
			 29 September Gabarone Residential 243,468 
			 31 November St Johns Residence 268,178 
			 15 October Ottawa Residential 196,056 
			 30 October Vientiane Residential 1,219,680 
			 3 November Berne Residential 1,315,860 
			 
			  2010
			 12 January Almaty Offices 147,000 
			 3 February Dar es Salaam Amenity 328,548 
			 3 February Dar es Salaam Residential 392,502 
			 26 February Paris Residential 322,514 
			 3 March Colombo Residential 2,047,500 
			 26 March Paris Residential 516,083 
			 26 March Paris Residential 467,294 
			 15 April The Hague Residential 309,260 
			 (1) No data available centrally pre-April 2006 (2) Asuncion: 55% of balance received, remainder due later in financial year  Source: Data compiled from Quarterly Management letters

Departmental Consultants

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) average and  (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: Responsibility for procuring external consultants within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is devolved to individual FCO directorates, departments, executive agencies and overseas posts. Information on individual daily rates are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many chairs his Department has purchased in each year since 1997; how much it spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Alistair Burt: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not cancelled any significant information technology projects during the past five years. To provide more detailed information, on small individual projects, would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's specialist human rights staff were posted overseas on the most recent date for which information is available; at which locations each is based; how long each has been in post; at which previous locations each has served his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) offers human rights training to all staff, particularly those going out to posts overseas. All overseas missions have a responsibility to monitor and raise human rights with their host countries and therefore many FCO staff posted overseas, including ambassadors, work on human rights issues. Staff recruited locally to work at posts overseas may also work on human rights issues. We cannot provide more detailed information or the proportion of time staff spend working on human rights issues overseas without incurring disproportionate cost.

EU External Relations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at what intergovernmental meetings outside the geographical area of the EU the EU was represented as an entity in the last 12 months.

David Lidington: The EU attends a large number of intergovernmental meetings either in its capacity as an international organisation or as an observer. The Government do not keep a central record of all these meetings. The information cannot therefore be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

EU External Relations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in respect of which international organisations representatives of the EU have an increased right of participation to represent Community interests since the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon.

David Lidington: The Lisbon Treaty does not give the EU increased rights of representation in any international organisation. We will carefully examine any request for additional rights of representation for the EU delegation in an international organisation after a thorough cost- benefit analysis of all the legal and political issues. Since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty the EU has only sought enhanced observership rights in respect of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Further to my written ministerial statement issued on 14 July 2010,  Official Report, column 31-32WS we agree that the EU delegation should have these rights so that it can represent EU member states in the same way as the EU rotating presidency has previously done. Our support for the proposed UNGA resolution does not imply agreement to additional rights for the EU in any other forums.

European External Action Service

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the contribution of the Minister for Europe in the debate on the European External Action Service of 14 July 2010,  Official Report, column 1056, if he will give a detailed breakdown of the £400 million estimated cost of the European External Action Service.

David Lidington: holding answer 22 July 2010
	 Any calculation of the cost of the European External Action Service (EEAS) will necessarily be provisional until presentation of the EEAS draft budget, expected in mid-September 2010. We expect that the European Commission will issue an amending letter detailing the redistribution of expenditure. I will deposit this letter in Parliament. However, taking the most recent year for which actual figures are available, 2009, the total cost of the Commission and Council services which, according to provisional plans, will be transferred into the EEAS is in the order of €398.5 million. This figure does not represent the entire cost of the EEAS, which will also include seconded member state nationals, a part of the staff of the EU Special Representatives, and administrative costs which have not yet been fully laid out. This figure is based on the assumption (subject to some change as details are worked through) that the units that will move are:
	the Directorate-General for External Relations (DG Relex) (although not all staff in delegations);
	half of Directorate-General Development (including staff in delegations);
	half of the cost to DG Relex of delegations;
	12.5% of the non-building (ie staff and ancillary costs) of the Council Secretariat.
	The costs of these four items for the last year for which we have actual figures of money spent, 2009, are: €11 million; €97.4 million; €128 million; and €59 million. This gives a combined total of €398.5 million.

Gambia: Elections

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of Gambia on the conduct of elections in that country in 2011.

Henry Bellingham: The UK, as Permanent Representative of the Presidency of the European Union (EU) in The Gambia, has raised issues surrounding the upcoming elections during the consultation process under Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement between EU countries and the Gambia. The UK is also active in International Donor Group meetings with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) which are designed to assist in the capacity building and strengthening of the IEC and other local civil society organisations to organise credible elections.

Hezbollah

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his  (a) Israeli,  (b) Egyptian,  (c) Lebanese and  (d) US counterpart on bilateral counter-terrorist co-operation, with particular reference to action in respect of Hezbollah.

Alistair Burt: The UK has ongoing dialogue with these countries on a wide range of bilateral co-operation issues, including counter-terrorism.

Hezbollah

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with  (a) his Israeli counterpart,  (b) his Egyptian counterpart,  (c) his Lebanese counterpart and  (d) his US counterpart on Hezbollah's military capability in southern Lebanon.

Alistair Burt: During my recent visit to Lebanon, I raised the issue of Hezbollah's military capability with Foreign Minister Ali Shami and with Prime Minister Hariri, underlining the need for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and for tackling Hezbollah disarmament.

Indonesia: EU External Relations

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether religious freedom was discussed as a priority in the recent EU-Indonesia human rights dialogue; and what assessment he made of the outcomes of that dialogue.

Jeremy Browne: At the UK's request, freedom of religion was included as a substantive item on the agenda of the first EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue held in June 2010. The EU noted Indonesia's efforts in promoting interfaith dialogue and raised concerns over the persecution of the Ahmadiyya community and recent attacks on Christians.
	The dialogue was constructive. Agreement was reached to take forward co-operation in support of the Association of South East Asian Nations Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights in multilateral forums (such as the Human Rights Council) and to explore possible assistance for juvenile justice and efforts to combat child labour, trafficking and child sexual exploitation in Indonesia.

Intergovernmental Conference

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the agenda and  (b) each other paper circulated to participants relating to each Inter-governmental Conference attended by the UK before each such conference.

David Lidington: I have placed a copy of the recent Protocol concerning the composition of the European Parliament in the Library of the House.
	The other information requested can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

International Atomic Energy Agency: Finance

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding his Department allocated to the International Atomic Energy Agency in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: The UK's Global Threat Reduction Programme, which is run jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), has given the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a Nuclear Security Fund of £6 million since 2005, paid in two instalments of £2 million in 2006 and £4 million in 2009.
	The FCO has also paid the IAEA tax refunds totalling £270,397.55 since 2005, broken down into payments of £5,454 in 2005; £3,219.96 in 2006; £45,541.89 in 2007; £111,282.46 in 2008; and £104,899.24 in 2009. The FCO has not allocated any further funds to the IAEA in each of the last five years, as DECC and the Department for International Development (DFID) are primarily responsible for UK contributions to the Agency.

Iran: Missiles

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the range of Iran's ballistic missiles;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with his  (a) Israeli,  (b) US,  (c) Egyptian and  (d) Jordanian counterpart on the range of Iran's ballistic missiles;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the range of Iran's ballistic missiles.

Alistair Burt: The Iranian ballistic missile programme continues to be of serious proliferation concern because of their utility as weapons of mass destruction (WMD) delivery systems. Recent developments have greatly increased the range of the missiles and reduced the launch preparation time. This technology has facilitated the construction of a missile capable of delivering a payload both regionally and into western Europe, from Moscow to Greece.
	The threat that Iran poses has been at the top of the counter-proliferation agenda, with the UK working with others on six UN Security Council Resolutions condemning Iran's activities. These have repeatedly called for the cessation of Iranian enrichment activity, transparency over its nuclear facilities and suspension of its long range ballistic missile programme. During the negotiations of these resolutions, we considered the threat posed by Iran's WMD and ballistic missile programme in its entirety, making it impossible to isolate individual conversations on the missile threat.
	The UK rigorously imposes sanctions authorised by these resolutions, including embargoes on the supply of technology for the Iranian missile programme. Complementing this work is the UK membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime that maintains a watch-list on sensitive technology and materials for Iran.

Iraq: Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the government of Iraq on the effect of its recent ministerial decree regarding trade unions in the electricity industry.

Alistair Burt: Our ambassador to Iraq met the Acting Electricity Minister on 1 August 2010 to discuss the Ministerial Order of 20 July 2010 relating to activities of unions at the Ministry of Electricity and its departments and sites. Officials from our embassy in Baghdad also raised the issue with the Inspector General of the Ministry of Electricity on 5 August 2010. The UK will continue to encourage the Government of Iraq to ensure a just, fair and International Labour Organisation-compliant union law. The right to form and join trade unions in Iraq is embodied in Article 22 of the Iraqi constitution. This is a principle to which the Government attach great importance and take very seriously.

Iraq: Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the position of trade unions in Iraq in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Officials from our embassy in Baghdad and Consulate General in Erbil have discussed the situation of unions with union representatives in Iraq in the last 12 months. These include representatives from the Electricity, Journalists, Teachers and Kurdish Workers Unions. The right to form and join trade unions in Iraq is embodied in Article 22 of the Iraqi constitution. This is a principle to which the Government attach great importance. The draft Iraqi Labour Code, which will include regulations affecting unions, remains with the Council of Ministers for comment. The UK will continue to encourage the Government of Iraq to ensure a just, fair and International Labour Organisation-compliant union law.

Iraq: Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the position of trade unions in the electricity sector in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Officials from our embassy in Baghdad held discussions with the Leader of the Electricity Workers and Employees Union in July and they expressed concern about the current situation relating to unions in Iraq. The Ministry of Electricity has informed officials at our embassy that an investigation into the conduct of activities relating to unions at the Ministry of Electricity is being carried out. The results of the investigation will be made public. We await the outcome of this investigation. We will continue to discuss the situation with Iraqi officials and US and EU colleagues.

Israel

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support co-existence education projects in Israel.

Alistair Burt: Our embassy in Tel Aviv is supporting the Hand in Hand Centre for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel. Our embassy has supported a range of projects through the centre including the development of new IT facilities, a sports field and a music room. The objective of this work is to contribute to a positive educational environment for Jewish and Arab Israeli children based on equality and co-existence.

Israel

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on social equality in Israel.

Alistair Burt: Our embassy in Israel continues to engage with the Government of Israel and with Israeli civil society on social equality matters in Israel. The UK has also highlighted its concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on Human Rights 2009.

Israel: Expenditure

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department paid to  (a) B'Tselem,  (b) HaMoked,  (c) Yesh Din,  (d) Ir Amim,  (e) Bimkom,  (f) the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel,  (g) the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition,  (h) Gisha,  (i) Association for Civil Rights in Israel,  (j) Peace Now,  (k) Mossawa and  (l) Breaking the Silence in each financial year since 2005-06; for what purposes those payments were made; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's spending on each such programme or project undertaken by each such organisation.

Alistair Burt: The tri-departmental Conflict Pool and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Bilateral programme funds support the Government's aim of reducing conflict in the middle east and North Africa region in order to help safeguard British national security. Our Conflict Prevention programmes in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are jointly managed by the FCO, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence. They work to improve the political environment in support of the peace process, including tackling difficult issues such as settlements and alleged human rights violations on both sides. Our Bilateral programme strengthens our relations with countries in the middle east and North Africa region. We work with both the Palestinian Authority to enhance their capacity for tackling violence and with Israeli institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
	Many of the initiatives we support work to promote equality and human rights, build trust between communities, reduce violence inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories and advance peace. The NGOs we work with have helped to raise awareness of Israel's obligations under international law with regard to settlement activity and human rights violations. They also work to ensure due legal process is adhered to by Israeli authorities. Regular monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of all programmes is a requirement for all our funding commitments. Since we began supporting these programmes there have been a number of changes to Israeli civil and military judicial practice and decisions, and increased public debate on these issues.
	A vibrant, independent and diverse civil society is one of Israel's great strengths and we believe that continuing British support will assist in strengthening democratic processes. By raising awareness and creating an environment where people are able to learn more about the situation and realities on the ground, the projects we support play a crucial role in creating sustainable conditions for peace.
	Of those NGOs referred to in my hon. Friend's question, the following have been funded through our Conflict Prevention programmes (the Middle East and North Africa Conflict Pool-MENA CP):
	 B'Tselem
	Project purpose: Using film and video documentation as a tool for accountability to improve the human rights situation in the west bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Funding: 2010-11-£135,000 (provisional allocation).
	 B'Tselem & HaMoked (jointly)
	Project purpose: To support freedom of movement for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories through legal and administrative action, advocacy and public education. Funding: 2005-06-£140,000, 2006-07-£150,000.
	 Yesh Din
	Project purpose: (2006 to 2008) Using legal action and public advocacy to challenge and ensure compliance with due process within Israeli military courts.
	Project purpose: (2008 to 2010) To challenge Israeli settlement construction and increase Palestinian access to lands in the west bank through legal actions and public advocacy. Funding: 2006-07-£55,529, 2007-08-£74,256, 2008-09-£125,000, 2009-10-£142,000, 2010-11-£83,755 (provisional allocation).
	 Ir Amim
	Project purpose: To influence the nature and quality of public policy debate and ultimately Israeli policy in line with political options for a sustainable two-state solution. Funding: 2005-06-£70,000, 2006-07-£100,133, 2007-08-£60,000, 2008-09-£127,850.
	 Bimkom
	Project purpose: (2006 to 2010): To provide comprehensive information on the planning situation of Palestinian villages in Area C, to support the prevention of house demolitions and improve living conditions of residents. Funding: 2006-07-£11,366, 2007-08-£45,956, 2009-10-£22,978.
	 Gisha
	Project purpose: To use legal actions and public advocacy to support free movement and access to goods, and to document human rights violations in Gaza. Funding: 2008-09-£70,010.
	 Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)
	Project purpose: (2006 to 2008) To raise awareness of Israeli obligations under international law to safeguard the rights of Palestinians in Hebron, through public advocacy and legal actions.
	Project purpose: (2008-2009) To raise awareness of Israeli obligations under international law to safeguard the rights of Palestinians and to reduce incidents of violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of Palestinians in the west bank through public advocacy and legal actions Funding: 2006-07-£42,000, 2007-08-£36,742, 2008-09-£73,000.
	 Peace Now
	Project purpose: To record, highlight and challenge settlement expansion activities, through legal action, public advocacy and dialogue with Israeli officials. Funding: 2006-07-£109,990, 2007-08-£52,696, 2008-09-£117,000, 2009-10-£100,000, 2010-11-£93,000 (provisional allocation).
	 Breaking the Silence
	Project purpose: To raise international and Israeli public awareness of human rights violations in the Hebron area. Funding: 2006-07-£19,144, 2007-08-£32,856, 2008-09-£26,701, 2009-10-£56,455, 2010-11-£74,434 (provisional allocation).
	Two of the NGOs referred to were supported by our bilateral programme funds. They were:
	 Bimkom
	Project purpose: (2005-06): To investigate planning considerations of the route of the Separation Barrier and assist Palestinian communities to raise concerns. Funding: 2005-06-£30,000.
	 Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI)
	Project purpose: To increase legal aid and advocacy work in cases of alleged torture and to support adoption of a human rights-based agenda. Funding: 2006-07-£15,000, 2007-08-£29,955.
	Israeli Committee against House Demolition (ICAHD) and Mossawa have not been funded by either the MENA CP or the FCO Bilateral programme fund.

Israel: Overseas Trade

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the cost of importing and exporting goods through the  (a) Kerem Shalom crossing in the latest period for which information is available and  (b) Karni crossing in 2006.

Alan Duncan: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) has not made an estimate of the costs incurred in exporting or importing goods through either Karni or Kerem Shalom crossings. It would be very difficult to make an estimate of these costs and there are a number of factors which may affect the cost, such as whether or not the goods need to be stored, and by whom the goods are being imported or exported.

Kashmir

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to visit Kashmir.

Alistair Burt: At present there are no plans for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to visit either Indian Administered Kashmir or Pakistan Administered Kashmir. The Foreign Secretary visited Pakistan from 23 to 25 June and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary visited India from 28 to 30 July.
	These visits demonstrate the importance the Government attaches to our bilateral relationships in South Asia.

Kashmir

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the political situation in Kashmir with his Pakistani and Indian counterparts; and when he next expects to do so.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during his visit to Pakistan from 23 to 25 June 2010. He also met Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna during his visit to India from 28 to 30 July 2010. The Foreign Secretary discussed regional issues including relations between India and Pakistan during these meetings.
	The long standing position of the UK on Kashmir is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation on both sides of the Line of Control, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on political disturbances in the Maldives; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: As I have made clear publicly, the Government welcome the progress being made in the Maldives towards resolving the political stalemate which has unsettled the country in recent weeks. On 10 August 2010, the Parliament passed the Judges Act and endorsed the nominees to the Supreme Court including the Chief Justice, all of which had previously been subject to deadlock by the political parties.
	I have spoken with senior Maldivian Government, Parliamentary and Opposition figures in the light of this welcome step forward, to express the UK's continued support for the democratic process in the Maldives, which is so essential for the country's future, and to urge all parties to work together to resolve their differences, so that the people of the Maldives can have renewed confidence in the political and constitutional process.

Mexico: Foreign Relations

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to strengthen the UK's relations with Mexico.

Jeremy Browne: The Government are increasing high-level engagement with Mexico. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Calderon at the G20 Summit in Toronto; my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has met his equivalent, Patricia Espinosa; and the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham) and I regularly meet the Mexican ambassador to the UK.
	In these exchanges there has been a focus on how we can work closer in the Security Council-and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers will be taking this work forward at the UN General Assembly in September.
	We are fully supportive of Mexico's leadership of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and we are working in close co-operation to ensure an international agreement on a balanced package of measures at the Cancun Summit.
	The UK and Mexico are also stepping up efforts to boost bilateral trade and investment. This will be an important focus of our annual High Level Political Talks in the autumn. I will host the talks and the Mexican delegation will be led by the Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister, Lourdes Aranda.

Nagorno Karabakh

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the UK contribution to a resolution of the political situation between Azerbaijan and Armenia to enable internally displaced persons to return to Nagorno Karabakh and surrounding regions.

David Lidington: The Government continue to support the conflict settlement efforts of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Minsk Group to find a solution for Nagorno Karabakh on the basis of international norms and principles, including non-use of force, territorial integrity and self-determination. In our bilateral contacts, we continue to encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to work towards a lasting solution to the conflict. Most recently I raised the issue with the Armenian and Azeri Foreign Ministers in the margins of the OSCE Ministerial held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 16-17 July. UK bilateral funding continues, through the Conflict Pool, to support peace-building projects in Nagorno Karabakh and elsewhere in the South Caucasus.

Pakistan: Ahmadiyya

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Pakistan on the safety of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Our high commissioner in Islamabad has raised the issue of discrimination suffered by the Ahmadiyya community with the Chief Minister of Punjab alongside his European Union colleagues. Our high commission has also raised the issue bilaterally with the Pakistani authorities, including with the Ministry for Minorities and the Ministry of the Interior.
	During her visit to Pakistan in July 2010, Baroness Warsi discussed the Punjab Government's response to the attacks in May with the Punjab's Chief Minister and Chief Secretary.

Palestinians: Imports

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate his Department has made of the monthly volume of imports  (a) required to meet the needs of the population of Gaza and  (b) the volume of imports to Gaza in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: Estimating Gaza's import need is difficult. Most international aid agencies and NGOs use a benchmark of 11,228 truckloads per month or 2,807 per week. These figures represent the average number of truckloads that entered Gaza during the first five months of 2007, before Israel imposed severe access restrictions. However this benchmark does not include imports of materials needed for reconstruction following Operation Cast Lead. Gaza's population has also grown and fuel for the power station is now delivered by truck, rather than pipeline.
	The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that during the period 8-14 August 2010, 1129 truckloads of goods (55 humanitarian and 1,074 commercial) were imported into Gaza through Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings. This is 40% of the 2007 weekly average.
	Data on import volumes entering Gaza are published online by the UN at:
	http://www.ochaopt.org/GazaCrossings.aspx?id=1010003

Palestinians: International Assistance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Egypt to comply with their obligations to facilitate access to Gaza under the Agreement on Movement and Access of November 2005 and UN Security Resolution 1860; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Government have made clear that the situation in Gaza is a tragedy and unsustainable. We continue to underline the need for implementation of the steps Israel announced on 20 June and to work with all relevant parties to secure concrete change on the ground. We also reiterate, to those concerned, the need to implement their commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 1860 and the Movement and Access Agreement of November 2005.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on changes to access that have occurred since the new Israeli access regime for Gaza was introduced following the statements of Prime Minister Netanyahu on 20 June and 5 July 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK has an ongoing dialogue with the Government of Israel at both ministerial and official level covering a wide range of issues including Gaza. We, together with the EU and Quartet, have called on Israel to ease restrictions on access and enable a return to economic normality. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has also underlined the important role the Palestinian economy, whether in Gaza or on the West Bank, will play in contributing towards a viable Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace and security.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts on access for people and goods to Gaza since the statements of Netanyahu on 20 June and 5 July 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: I have been asked to reply.
	Neither the Secretary of State nor I have had any discussions with Israeli or Palestinian Ministers regarding access for goods and people into Gaza since 20 June.
	Department for International Development (DFID) officials continue to raise the issue of access for goods and people with the relevant Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on restoring the customs code for Gaza.

Alistair Burt: The UK has an ongoing dialogue with the Government of Israel at both ministerial and official level covering a wide range of issues including Gaza.
	We, together with the EU and Quartet, have called on Israel to ease restrictions on access. It is imperative that all parties now work together urgently to deliver real change on the ground. This will mean building capacity at the crossings, getting vital reconstruction projects up and running and ensuring that Gazans can export as well as import goods.
	We have not had specific discussions on a customs code for Gaza. However, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has underlined the important role the Palestinian economy, whether in Gaza or on the West Bank, will play in contributing towards a viable Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace and security.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the compatibility of access restrictions on Gaza with the Interim Association Agreement between the EU and the Palestinian Authority.

Alistair Burt: Two of the objectives of the Interim Association Agreement on Trade and Co-operation between the European Union and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority are to contribute to the economic and social development of Gaza and the west bank and to encourage regional co-operation towards peace and stability. The restrictions on Gaza clearly do not contribute to the achievement of these objectives. Along with our EU partners, we have called on Israel to ease restrictions on access and enable a return to economic normality. All parties must now work together urgently to deliver real change on the ground.

Somalia: Foreign Policy

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his long-term foreign policy objectives are for Somalia.

Henry Bellingham: For Somalia, our long-term foreign policy objective is to create sufficient stability to gradually deny space for those who threaten both UK interests and regional security, providing security and development for the Somali population.
	To this end, it is essential that the international community is closely co-ordinated behind the Djibouti Peace Process to ensure coherent and effective support to overcome obstacles to progress.
	There is not simply a military solution in Somalia; political reconciliation is vital to Somalia's future security.

South America: Foreign Policy

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his foreign policy priorities are for South America.

Jeremy Browne: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has publicly stated, the Government are determined to increase the UK's engagement with the countries of South America, and Latin America more broadly. The region is an important ally in helping deliver our objective of safeguarding Britain's national security by countering weapons proliferation and working to reduce conflict. Latin America also includes a number of economic partners that are an important focus of the Government's prosperity agenda. In this we are not only aiming to increase bilateral trade and investment with countries in the region, but also promoting sustainable global growth, including by working with Brazil, Mexico and Argentina in the G20.
	In advance of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Conference of Parties summit in Cancun, the Government will also be prioritising engagement with the region on the climate change agenda. As my right hon. Friends the Prime Minster and the Foreign Secretary have repeatedly stated, it is important to raise ambitions in advance of the summit and to secure a balanced package of measures in Cancun.
	I was pleased to visit Colombia and Chile in August to discuss these issues personally with Presidents Santos and Piñera and their teams.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what involvement his Department has had in the Stategic Defence and Security Review; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been playing a central role in setting the foreign policy context for the Cabinet Office-led Strategic Defence and Security Review process. This is a comprehensive review of the defence and security threats facing the UK and the capabilities that we have and shall need to address those threats and exploit opportunities for the UK. The FCO itself, and our network of overseas posts, are important capabilities which will be covered by the review. The FCO will continue to be involved at official level and the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), shall remain engaged through discussions in the National Security Council until the conclusion of the review.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently uses two contracts with private hire taxi companies: Addison Lee, covering the London area; and Raffles Taxis, covering the Milton Keynes area. Both contracts are used for both FCO departmental usage, and FCO Services. As FCO Services has been an independent trading fund since 1 April 2008, its expenditure is recorded and shown separately since that date. The following table shows the breakdown of costs by year.
	FCO staff travel by the most efficient means of transport, bearing in mind the operational requirement and the need to secure value for money for the public purse. Public transport is used whenever possible and staff avoid using taxis on official business unless it is absolutely necessary. Expenditure is now closely monitored and as a result expenditure in financial year 2009-10 has shown a decrease.
	Staff should not normally use a taxi at public expense between home and office-nor between airports and central London-except for journeys during the hours when public transport is not running. If it is absolutely necessary for staff to work after 9 pm or before 7 am, they may consider taking a taxi from their destination station to their home address or vice versa.
	
		
			  Taxi expenditure-Addison Lee and Raffles Taxis 
			  £ 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Raffles Taxis 90,302 180,241 172,661 156,201 150,373 143,191 161,708 188,897 See below See below 
			 Addison Lee (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 340,531 - - 
			 Raffles Taxis (FCO UK only) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 93,449 61,559 
			 Addison Lee (FCO UK only) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 380,507 270,457 
			 Raffles Taxis (FCO Services only) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 134,067 161,328 
			 Addison Lee (FCO Services only) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 35,089 44,739 
			 (1) Unavailable  Note: All figures quoted are exclusive of VAT

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997.

Alistair Burt: This information is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants in his Department spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

Alistair Burt: We do not hold data going back to 1997 on the number of days Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff spent on trade union activities. Since 2005 however, there have been 9.5 full-time equivalent staff in the FCO and FCO Services elected by FCO union members each financial year to represent members. This equates to 0.2% of the Department's overall whole time equivalent staffing headcount. The FCO also allows up to 25 days time off for staff elected to the branch executive committees of their unions to engage in union activities. Actual time taken is not recorded centrally and is at the discretion of line management. We currently have 33 volunteer members of staff who are branch committee members.
	The amount of trade union facility time allowed in the FCO is in compliance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) code of practice 'Time off for trade union duties and activities'.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep central records of expenditure on wine across the Department.
	Government Hospitality, which manages the Government Wine Cellar on behalf of all Government Departments, recorded the following expenditure on purchases (wines, spirits, beers, etc) in each year since 1997:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1997-98 114,407 
			 1998-99 103,277 
			 1999-2000 84,793 
			 2000-01 80,337 
			 2001-02 92,772 
			 2002-03 91,860 
			 2003-04 93,503 
			 2004-05 60,059 
			 2005-06 95,264 
			 2006-07 108,715 
			 2007-08 137,460 
			 2008-09 121,939 
			 2009-10 80,662 
		
	
	The running down of stocks and low expenditure in 2004-05 was due to preparations for the UK presidencies of the G8 and European Union. It is not possible to separate the costs of wines from other stock for the cellar.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department's file 
	(1)  CPO 5/5, Publicity Material and Publications from Anti-Abortion Organisations; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  CPO 3/6, Abortion Act 1967, Correspondence between Sir Bernard Braine MP and Minister of Health on matters concerning abortions in NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  CPO 2/10, Abortion (Amendment) Bill Committee Stage Briefing; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: I have asked departmental officials to retrieve and examine the documentation requested by my hon. Friend. Once this has been done I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

AIDS: Health Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to ring-fence the revenue grant for AIDS support; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of removal of protection of the revenue grant for AIDS support on the provision of  (a) (i) counselling, (ii) peer support and (iii) care services for people living with HIV and  (b) funding for local HIV organisations providing specialist social care support to HIV-positive people not catered for by mainstream services.

Anne Milton: On 24 May, it was announced that the ring fence would now be lifted from a number of specific social care grants, including the AIDS support grant (ASG) with immediate effect.
	The Government's view is that, in the current economic climate, local authorities are best placed to prioritise their own spending commitments based on the local pressures they face. By removing the ring-fencing of grants, we are giving authorities more freedom to direct funding in the most effective way and give local people the best service possible.
	The AIDS support grant is now a long-running and embedded social care grant, and existing commissioning networks and local scrutiny arrangements will monitor grant spend at a local level. The Department has confirmed that the AIDS support grant will still be administered as a separate, specific social care grant in 2010-11, and that it will be maintained at the previously announced level of £25.5 million.

Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the voluntary industry agreement to place health warnings on the labels of alcoholic drinks.

Anne Milton: The most recent assessment of the effectiveness of the voluntary agreement was the second stage of independent monitoring conducted using samples taken in April 2009. The results of this exercise were published, alongside a public consultation on options for improving information on the labels of alcoholic drinks, in February this year and are available at the following web address:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Alcoholmisuse/DH_085390
	The public consultation closed on 31 May and the responses to this exercise are now being analysed by departmental officials, who will be advising Ministers. We will set out our plans for next steps, in the coming months.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals were admitted to Peterborough District Hospital as a result of alcohol- related harm in each year since 2001; what the cost of treating such individuals was in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Information is not held in the format requested.
	The following table shows the number of finished admission episodes which are estimated to be alcohol-related for Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from 2004-05 to 2008-09 and Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust from 2002-03 to 2003-04. We are unable to provide costs specifically related to alcohol harm.
	However, the National Audit Office has carried out an audit of national health service spend on alcohol treatment. Its report, "Reducing Alcohol Harm: health services in England for alcohol misuse", was published in November 2008 and found, that where primary care trust expenditure on alcohol services was known, an average of £600,000 was spent on commissioning alcohol services in 2006-07.
	
		
			  Number of finished admission episodes which are estimated to be alcohol-related( 1)  for Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from 2004-05 to 2008-09 and Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust from 2002-03 to 2003-04 
			  Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Trust name   Alcohol-related admission episodes 
			 Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2008-09 5,726 
			  2007-08 5,236 
			  2006-07 4,432 
			  2005-06 4,432 
			  2004-05 4,174 
			
			 Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust 2003-04 3,624 
			  2002-03 3,096 
			  Notes: 1. Due to organisational changes Peterborough Hospital NHS Trust may not directly map to Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and therefore caution should be taken when comparing the figures before and after 2004 as data may not be directly comparable.  2. Alcohol-related admissions.  The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at  http://www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf 3. The application of the NWPHO methodology has recently been updated and is now available directly from HES. As such, information about episodes estimated to be alcohol related may be slightly different from previously published data.  4. Number of episodes in which the patient had an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis. These figures represent the number of episodes where an alcohol-related diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a HES record. Each episode is only counted once in each count, even if an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record.  5. Data quality.  HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 
			 6. Assessing growth through time.  HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations his Department has received in support of a minimum unit price for alcoholic products.

Anne Milton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence issued public health guidance, "Alcohol-use disorders: preventing the development of hazardous and harmful drinking" in June. The guidance recommended that Government consider reviewing alcohol pricing and duty to reduce the affordability of alcohol, and to consider introducing a minimum price per unit.
	In May, Tesco wrote to the Department saying it would support the Government in the event of a decision to introduce minimum unit pricing.
	The Department has received correspondence supporting minimum unit price from the public. However, identifying the exact number could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on assistance for those with ankylosing spondylitis.

Paul Burstow: Ankylosing spondylitis is a specialist condition which can cause chronic pain. Treatments are aimed at monitoring mobility and managing pain. To do this effectively it is important to fully involve patients in decision making about their care through personalised care planning and where appropriate provide information to support self management.

Autism

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings he has had with representatives of  (a) the Royal Colleges and  (b) other relevant professional bodies on training of staff working in mental health settings in autism.

Paul Burstow: Departmental officials have met with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and British Psychological Society to support the training of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists working across mental health services. The Department has commissioned specific training with these organisations addressing recognition, diagnosis and health needs of people with autism presenting to mental health services.
	In addition we are working with the Royal College of Nursing, which includes psychiatric nurses working across all mental health services in the development of raising awareness of people with autism.

Autism

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with stakeholders on the effectiveness of child and adolescent mental health services for children with autism and co-occurring mental health problems.

Paul Burstow: This was discussed in a meeting that Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society and I had on 27 July 2010.

Autism

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that his Department's White Paper will lead to improvements in the provision of health care for those with the most complex needs, with particular reference to children with autism and mental health problems.

Paul Burstow: The intention of the White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" is to create a national health service which is much more responsive to patients and is focused on what really matters to patients and carers-continuously improving the outcomes of health care. The proposals will set the NHS free from day to day political interference. Services and commissioning, including for those with the most complex needs, will be clinically-led, evidence-based and bottom-up, not dictated top-down by politicians.
	By publishing the White Paper the Government are now able to engage fully on the detail of how best to implement these changes, and this engagement process is now under way.

Autism: Health Services

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to support  (a) children and  (b) adults with autism.

Paul Burstow: We are committed to fulfilling the requirements of the Autism Act 2009 with the aim of addressing the disadvantages that children, young people and adults with autism can experience.
	We launched consultation on draft statutory guidance to support delivery of the autism strategy. The guidance for health and social care bodies will be available by the end of the year. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has been commissioned to produce new clinical guidelines for children and adults with autism. Details of the consultation are available at:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_118058

Blood: Cancer

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2010,  Official Report, column 780W, on blood: cancer, which cancer networks are not in a position to set up haemato-pathology services by the end of December 2010; and what issues relating to the implementation of the guidance on setting up haemato-pathology services by this date remain to be resolved.

Paul Burstow: Of the 28 cancer networks, eight have fully implemented haemato-pathology services in line with the Improving Outcomes in Haematological Cancers guidance. Information regarding the remaining 20 is currently being collated by the National Cancer Action Team. When this is complete, it will provide a clearer picture of which networks will be compliant by December 2010 and those that may not be, and the reasons for this.
	Listed as follows are the 28 cancer networks and their status of compliance.
	
		
			  Strategic health authority  Network  Status 
			 East of England Anglia To be confirmed 
			  Essex To be confirmed 
			  Mount Vernon To be confirmed 
			
			 London North London To be confirmed 
			  South East London Compliant 
			  South West London To be confirmed 
			  West London To be confirmed 
			  North East London Compliant 
			
			 North East North of England To be confirmed 
			
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Humber and Yorkshire Coast Compliant 
			  Yorkshire Compliant 
			  North Trent Compliant 
			
			 North West Greater Manchester and Cheshire Compliant 
			  Lancashire and South Cumbria To be confirmed 
			  Merseyside and Cheshire To be confirmed 
			
			 South Central Central South Coast To be confirmed 
			  Thames Valley To be confirmed 
			
			 South East Coast Kent Compliant 
			  Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire To be confirmed 
			  Sussex To be confirmed 
			
			 South West Dorset To be confirmed 
			  Peninsula To be confirmed 
			  Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire To be confirmed 
			  3 Counties To be confirmed 
			
			 East Midlands East Midland Compliant 
			
			 West Midlands Arden To be confirmed 
			  Greater Midlands To be confirmed 
			  Pan Birmingham To be confirmed

Cancer: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of trends in the survival rates for osteosarcoma in children in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: No assessment has been made of trends in the survival rates for osteosarcoma in children. The Office for National Statistics only produces cancer survival statistics for adults aged 15 to 99.
	The following table provides the number of newly diagnosed cases of osteosarcoma in England for children aged between 0 and 14 years, in each year from 2003 to 2007.
	
		
			  Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of osteosarcoma( 1) , children( 2) , England( 3) , 2003 - 07( 4) 
			   Children 
			 2003 70 
			 2004 44 
			 2005 52 
			 2006 56 
			 2007 48 
			 (1) Osteosarcoma is defined using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C40-C41. (2) Children aged 14 years and under. (3) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (4) Newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	We know that the prognosis for children diagnosed with osteosarcoma is significantly better if the cancer is found early and has not spread from the bone to other parts of the body. In 2005, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published "Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer", to help general practitioners (GPs) refer patients with suspected cancers more quickly. The guidance includes a section focusing on children and young people with bone cancers, including osteosarcoma. The guidance can be found at the following link:
	www.nice.org.uk/CG027
	Cancer survival rates are improving for many cancers, and patients' experience of their care has improved. However, we believe more needs to be done. It is now generally agreed that the most important reasons for lower survival rates in England, compared with other European countries, are low public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, delays in people presenting to their GPs, and patients having more advanced disease at diagnosis. We will be looking carefully at how best to achieve earlier diagnosis.

Care Homes: Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients admitted to hospital from residential care as a result of their diabetes in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: Although the NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects and publishes details of all admissions to national health service hospitals in England as Hospital Episode Statistics, the data returned for this question were not specific enough to identify those admitted from residential care. Therefore, a meaningful estimate of the number of patients admitted to hospital from residential care as a result of their diabetes in each of the last five years cannot be made.

Change4Life

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Change4Life campaign.

Anne Milton: Assessing the effectiveness of the Change4Life campaign is an ongoing process, which measures targets such as brand saliency, response to the family diet and activity survey "How are the Kids" , and sign up to the C4L programme as well as capturing attitudes towards eating and physical activity and self-reported improvements in behaviour in those areas. A range of methods are used such as tracking (reporting monthly), bespoke surveys, web statistics (monthly) and buzz monitoring (regular reporting) to measure awareness of both the campaign overall and specific activities taking place at a national and local level as part of Change4Life campaign activity.
	The most recently published assessment of the effectiveness of the campaign is in the "Change4Life One Year On" report published in February, which has been placed in the Library.
	The direct marketing component of the Change4Life campaign is also subject to an ongoing academic evaluation by Professor Jane Wardle and Dr Helen Croker from University College London, the results of which will be published next year.

Dementia

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what criteria have been used under the national audit of dementia services to determine the appropriateness of use of anti-psychotic drugs to treat dementia;
	(2)  who has been invited to join the stakeholder reference group to advise his Department on the national audit of dementia services.

Paul Burstow: The Department is in the process of developing the detail of the scope of the audit following an initial meeting of the stakeholders' reference group on 6 July. The results of the audit are expected by October 2010.
	This Antipsychotic Working Group met for the first time on 6 July and membership of this group is shown in the following list.
	 Antipsychotic Working Group
	Royal College of General Practitioners
	Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
	Royal College of Physicians
	Wylde Consortium, Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Four Seasons Health Care Ltd.
	Alzheimer's Society
	Government office for Yorkshire and the Humber
	Care Quality Commission
	Alzheimer's Research Trust
	Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust
	Centre for Mental Health
	Oxleas NHS Trust

Dementia

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of anti-psychotic medication there were for people with dementia  (a) in each primary care trust area and  (b) in each region in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: Information on the number of patients prescribed a medicine and the condition for which that medicine is prescribed is not collected centrally.
	Information is collected on the number of prescription items for anti-psychotic drugs within sections 4.2.1 "Antipsychotic drugs" and 4.2.2 "Antipsychotic depot injections" of the British National Formulary, written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community, in England with the net ingredient cost.

Dementia

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on work undertaken by carers for people with dementia in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not keep data on national health service spending on carers for people with dementia.
	In addition, the Department does not ring fence funding for dementia services to primary care trusts (PCTs). The national audit of dementia services will include an analysis of local spending on services for people with dementia.
	The revised NHS operating framework published in June 2010 makes clear that PCTs and their partners should publish how they are implementing the national dementia strategy to increase local accountability for prioritisation.

Dementia

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with dementia in each region in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: The quality and outcomes framework gives the numbers of patients on the dementia disease register for the financial years 2006-07 to 2008-09. Figures for 2009-10 will be published in autumn this year. The figures by strategic health authority (SHA) are shown in the following table. Figures are not the number of newly diagnosed dementia patients but the number who are on the register at the end of each year.
	
		
			   SHA  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Q33 East Midlands SHA 18,032 18,939 20,089 
			 Q35 East of England SHA 22,628 23,573 25,315 
			 Q36 London SHA 23,023 23,871 24,859 
			 Q30 North East SHA 12,128 12,420 13,198 
			 Q31 North West SHA 31,746 32,621 34,057 
			 Q38 South Central SHA 17,108 17,744 18,840 
			 Q37 South East Coast SHA 19,651 20,350 21,442 
			 Q39 South West SHA 23,772 24,401 25,920 
			 Q34 West Midlands SHA 21,988 22,728 23,866 
			 Q32 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA 22,718 23,599 24,844

Dementia

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to reduce the level of use of anti-psychotic drugs for people with dementia.

Paul Burstow: The National Clinical Director for dementia is leading the work to implement the recommendations made by Professor Sube Banerjee in his report into the use of anti-psychotic medicines, which was published in November 2009. The Department is working with the NHS Information Centre to develop an audit of the prescribing of anti-psychotics for people with dementia. The audit will be a key mechanism for measuring the reduction in the use of anti-psychotic drugs.

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Simon Burns: The following table provides details of the major land and buildings sold by the Department between April 2005 and March 2010. There have been no sales by non-departmental public bodies or agencies for which the Department has been responsible during this period.
	The receipts from these sales are credited to the Department's capital budget and can be used to support further capital spending by the Department, the national health service, agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
	
		
			  Property sold  Sale price (£000) 
			  2005-06  
			 Land at Princess Royal, Telford 45 
			 St Margaret's, Walsall 13,250 
			 St Crispin's Social Club, Northampton 20 
			 Land at Towers Hospital, Leicester 1,816 
			 1/3 Nightingale Close, Mulbarton 230 
			 High Royd's, Menston 27,230 
			 Killingbeck, Leeds 18,770 
			 Land at Neville Drive, Sedgefield 3,000 
			 30 Windermere Gardens, Gateshead 75 
			 St Oswald's Hospice, Newcastle 900 
			 New Lodge, Whittingham 94 
			 Middleton Hospital, Ilkley 275 
			 10 Mayroyd Avenue, Tolworth 189 
			 47 Gainsborough Road, Epsom 122 
			 Conolly House, Napsbury 1,245 
			 Colvend, Napsbury 495 
			 121 Cranleigh Mead, Cranleigh 117 
			 19 Netherne Lane, Coulsdon 144 
			 24 Park Road, Maidstone 118 
			 40 Park Road, Maidstone 115 
			 46 Park Road, Maidstone 128 
			 2 Brambletye Park Road, Redhill 164 
			 Land at Joyce Green, Dartford 1,225 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Banstead 5,900 
			 Silverlands, Chertsey 3,700 
			 Bungalow, Woodplace Lane, Coulsdon 189 
			 Glenside, Bristol 5,250 
			 Part Severalls Hospital Site, Colchester (1)280,000 
			 Turner Village, Colchester (1)- 
			 Land at St Mary's Axminster (1)- 
			 Cashes Green Hospital, Stroud (1)- 
			 St Leonards, Ringwood (1)- 
			 Tiverton District Hospital, Tiverton (1)- 
			 Belmont Hospital, Tiverton (1)- 
			 Cottages 1 to 5, Herrison (1)- 
			 Lower Farm Buildings, Herrison (1)- 
			 Sewer Field, Herrison Hanham Hail, Bristol (1)- 
			 Part Countess of Chester, Chester (1)- 
			 Whittingham, Preston (1)- 
			 Winwick Farm, Warrington (1)- 
			 Winwick Social Club, Warrington (1)- 
			 Land at Lancaster Moor, Lancaster (1)- 
			 Homelands Hospital, Crook (1)- 
			 Killingworth Stores, Killingworth (1)- 
			 Maiden Law Hospital, Durham (1)- 
			 Part St Georges Hospital, Morpeth (1)- 
			 Land at Aycliffe Hospital, Newton Aycliffe (1)- 
			 Birney Hill Farm, Ponteland (1)- 
			 Stannington Children's Hospital, Stannington (1)- 
			 Ashington General Hospital, Ashington (1)- 
			 Part Shotley Bridge Hospital, Consett (1)- 
			 Tindale Crescent, Bishop Auckland (1)- 
			 Hull Maternity Hospital, Hull (1)- 
			 Land at Seacroft Hospital, Leeds (1)- 
			 Part Wharfdale Hospital, Otley (1)- 
			 Land at Springfield, Grimsby (1)- 
			 Scartho Hall, Grimsby (1)- 
			 Scartho Hall-site opposite, Grimsby (1)- 
			 Land at Norton Aerodrome, Sheffield (1)- 
			 Lord Mayor Treloar, Alton (1)- 
			 Park Prewett, Basingstoke (1)- 
			 St Augustines, Chartham (1)- 
			 Mabledon, Dartford (1)- 
			 Alpha House, Droxford (1)- 
			 Part St Ebbas, Epsom (1)- 
			 Horton Farm, Epsom (1)- 
			 Retail Centre site, Horton, Epsom (1)- 
			 Part West Park Hospital, Epsom (1)- 
			 Part Coldeast Hospital, Fareham (1)- 
			 Part Knowle Hospital, Wickham (1)- 
			 Land at St Francis Hospital, Haywards Heath (1)- 
			 Leybourne Grange, Maidstone (1)- 
			 Linton Hospital, Maidstone (1)- 
			 Part Milford Hospital, Milford (1)- 
			 Land at Royal Earlswood, Redhill (1)- 
			 Land at Hill House, Rye (1)- 
			 Sheppey Hospital, Sheppey (1)- 
			 Part Southlands Hospital, Shoreham (1)- 
			 Hazel Farm, Southampton (1)- 
			 Land at St Johns Hospital, Stone (1)- 
			 Part Tatchbury Hospital, Calmore (1)- 
			 Fair Mile Hospital, Cholsey (1)- 
			 Land at Celsea Place, Cholsey (1)- 
			 Penny Lodge, Newport Pagnell (1)- 
			 Stretton Hall Farmland, Oadby (1)- 
			 Ashover House, Lincoln (1)- 
			 Carey House, Skegness (1)- 
			 Derby City Chest Clinic, Derby (1)- 
			 Barnsley Hall Land, Bromsgrove (1)- 
			 Land at the Limes, Himley (1)- 
			 Part Lea Castle Hospital, Kidderminster (1)- 
			 Ledbury Cottage Hospital, Ledbury (1)- 
			 Smallwood, Redditch (1)- 
			 Royal Shrewsbury-South (1)- 
			 Land at Chemsley, Solihull (1)- 
			 Land at Middlefield, Knowle (1)- 
			 Land at Bucknall, Bucknall (1)- 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 11 Edith Road, London 247 
			 Bridge Wharf, London 36 
			 48 Park Road, Maidstone 170 
			 31 Pathfields, Shere 210 
			 40 Princes Road, Redhill 162 
			 42 Princes Road, Redhill 150 
			 9 Princes Road, Redhill 200 
			 Orchard Field, Virginia Water 4,420 
			 42 Redan Road, Aldershot 142 
			 44 Redan Road, Aldershot 149 
			 Hollywood Lodge, Epsom 1,200 
			 Eastwood Park, Falfield 3,010 
			 9 Highbury Villas, Bristol 244 
			 Oakleigh, Plymouth 225 
			 Okehampton Castle Hospital, Okehampton 450 
			 57 Park Road, Loughborough 325 
			 Land at Sedgefield 26 
			 Fieldside, Workington 70 
			 Land at St Catherine's, Doncaster 625 
			 Compton Hospice, Wolverhampton 28 
			 Broseley Hospital, Broseley 18 
			 Wellington Cottage Hospital, Telford 245 
			 Gordon Barracks, Rochester 3,850 
			 Wells Cottages, Coulsdon 750 
			 Stone House Hospital, Dartford (1)40,000 
			 St Margaret's Hospital, Epping (1)- 
			 Runwell Hospital, Wickford (1)- 
			 Part Prudhoe Hospital, Prudhoe (1)- 
			 Part Manor Kingsway Hospital, Derby (1)- 
			 Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon (1)- 
			 Part Grimsby General Hospital, Grimsby (1)- 
			 St Clements Social Club, Ipswich (1)- 
			 Graylingwell Hospital, Chichester (1)- 
			 The Beeches Hospital, Telford (1)- 
			   
			  2007-08  
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hackney 8,500 
			 337-339 Hackney Road, Hackney 1,430 
			 18 Paddington Green, London 1,210 
			 Eastry Hospital, Eastry 1,700 
			 35 Higher Kingston, Yeovil 135 
			 10 Woodside, Plymouth 335 
			 St Mary's Hospital, Stannington 3,875 
			 103 Oakwood Drive, Ulverston 129 
			 Sedgefield Hospital, Sedgefield 3,268 
			 Agricultural land, Winterton 105 
			 Willowburn, Maiden Law Hospital, Lanchester 185 
			 112 Northbourne Road, Jarrow 83 
			 140 Hedworth Lane, Jarrow 140 
			 27 Willow Grange, Jarrow 131 
			 Land at South Elmsall, Wakefield 287 
			 18 Battlefield Lane, Holbeach 116 
			 Holbeach Hospital, Holbeach 325 
			 Land at Honey Lane, Waltham Abbey 72 
			 Cherry Knowle Hospital, Sunderland (2)- 
			 Part Towers Hospital, Leicester (2)- 
			   
			  2008-09  
			 10 houses in Surrey 2,200 
			 30 Paul Road, Bodmin 97 
			 Land at Cronehills, West Bromwich 47 
			 Laverneo, Grindon 250 
			 Horton House, Epsom 675 
			 Land at St George's, Romford 77 
			 Morton Banks, Riddlesdon 30 
			 Dog Kennel Wood, Maidstone 40 
			 Land at Drakes Drive, St Alban's 31 
			 Land at The Hawthorns, Swindon 20 
			   
			  2009-10  
			 High Road, Tottenham 255 
			 Land at Napsbury 425 
			 Land at Daisy Bank Cottages, Lancaster 43 
			 Blackbrook House, Fareham 750 
			 Land at Cherry Knowle, Sunderland 12 
			 Woodside Carpark, Plymouth 190 
			 Lakeview Close, Walsall 1,000 
			 10 Palmer Crescent, Ottershaw 160 
			 White Hart, Harrogate 2,240 
			 Land at Shenleybury Cottages, St Albans 71 
			 Chestnut Court, Redhill 425 
			 Land at Herrison, Dorchester 12 
			 Land at Harwich Hospital, Harwich 586 
			 Land at South Cottages, St Albans 50 
			 (1) Part of a portfolio sale to English Partnerships (2) Part of portfolio transfer to English Partnerships

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much office space per employee his Department occupied in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: Information on office space per employee has only been collected since 2004 as part of a pan-government annual property benchmarking exercise. Property benchmarking data for the Department only include data for Richmond House, Wellington House, Skipton House, New Kings Beam House and Quarry House. Data for 2009-10 are not yet available as the benchmarking exercise is still underway. Office space per employee from 2004-05 to 2008-09 is as follows:
	
		
			   Square metres per employee 
			 2004-05 16.90 
			 2005-06 17.00 
			 2006-07 17.70 
			 2007-08 18.80 
			 2008-09 16.10

Departmental ICT

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies has spent on information and communication technology in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The Department's expenditure on information and communication technology (ICT) between 2006-07 and 2009-10 is set out in the following table. Expenditure on ICT between 1997-98 and 2005-06 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  ICT  Totals (£000) 
			 2006-07(1) 81,456 
			 2007-08(1) 88,036 
			 2008-09 54,062 
			 2009-10 48,702 
			 (1 )Includes accommodation and building services spend. 
		
	
	The Department's expenditure incurred in ensuring delivery of the information technology systems under the national programme for information technology, and for maintaining the critical business systems previously provided to the national health service by the former NHS Information Authority, in the years for which information is available, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  ICT  Total (£  million) 
			 2004-05 620.0 
			 2005-06 968.0 
			 2006-07 1,117.0 
			 2007-08 1,193.0 
			 2008-09 1,063.5 
			 2009-10 1,100.0 
			  Note: All sums are actual expenditure for the year in question, compiled using the accruals accounting convention, and exclude capital charges. 
		
	
	The Department's non-departmental public bodies and agency's expenditure on ICT is not held centrally. Information for period 2001-02 to 2009-10 where central contracts have been used, is set out in the following table. Details of expenditure on ICT prior to 2001 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £000 
			  ICT  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 96 75 
			 General Social Care Council 933 141 182 418 246 1,107 778 1,624 1,453 
			 Monitor (1)- (1)- (1)- 6 19 22 22 26 26 
			 Appointments Commission (1)- 111 137 117 118 128 111 220 711 
			 Alcohol Education and Research Council (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Care Quality Commission (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 32,007 
			 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Health Protection Agency (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 6,420 6,794 8,576 11,158 10,331 
			 Human Tissue Authority (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (1)- (1)- (1)- 12,677 16,500 14,911 12,386 14,106 12,098 
			 (1 )Cells are blank if the arms length body was not in existence or where the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. (2 )Denotes the Agency.  Notes: 1. Figures may have come from various sources and so may not exactly match with accrual accounts.  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £1,000 and may include revenue and capital.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure on vehicles of  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each English region was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.

Simon Burns: The Department does not routinely offer lease cars to members of staff. However, NHS Connecting for Health, a programme managed by the Department's Director General and Chief Information Officer, does offer lease cars to some members of staff.
	Also, a small number of employees who transferred into the core Department, who were previously employed by the Purchasing and Supplies Agency (PASA), an agency of the Department, had a business need for a lease vehicle. When PASA closed on 31 March 2010, there were 15 employees who continued with their lease agreements. Since the transfer date six individuals have returned their lease car. The Department meets the costs of the ongoing leases.
	The following table shows the annual expenditure on the vehicles for NHS Connecting for Health for the last three years, and the total projected cost of the NHS Connecting for Health leases and the former PASA leases in 2010-11.
	
		
			   Expenditure (£) 
			 2007-08 92,041 
			 2008-09 107,938 
			 2009-10 122,025 
			 2010-11-planned 150,828 
			  Note:  Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000. 
		
	
	The Department has nine executive non-departmental bodies and one agency. Only one of the current non-departmental bodies, the Appointments Commission, incurs expenditure on vehicles as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Appointments Commission 
			   Expenditure (£000) 
			 2007-08 7 
			 2008-09 7 
			 2009-10 6 
			 2010-11-planned 6 
			  Note:  Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Excludes mileage costs, lease costs only.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

Simon Burns: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures are taken from the Department's business management system and are provisional.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Minister  May 2010  June 2010 
			 Secretary of State for Health (Mr Lansley) 31.31 136.01 
			 Minister of State (Mr Simon Burns) 2.31 37.45 
			 Minister of State (Mr Burstow) 2.54 6.54 
			 Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Anne Milton) 0 0 
			 Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Earl Howe) 1.54 0

Departmental Pay

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid in remuneration in total to civil servants in his Department in 2009-10.

Simon Burns: The total amount paid in remuneration to civil servants in the Department for 2009-10 was £116,931,413.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in each of the English regions in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Simon Burns: The cost of employer pension contributions incurred for the last three years-and the predicted expenditure for the coming year-by the core Department, each of the Department's executive non-departmental public bodies and its executive agency: the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are shown in the following table.
	The figures shown for the core Department relate to contributions made to the principal civil service pension scheme of which most of the Department's employees are members.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Title of organisation  2007-08 costs  2008-09 costs  2009-10 costs  2010-11 'planned expenditure'  
			 Core Department of Health 21,789 22,845 23,714 24,254 
			 Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence 73 102 111 117 
			 General Social Care Council 298 469 489 640 
			 Monitor 1,035 1,373 1,449 1,521 
			 Appointments Commission 147 166 217 (1)230 
			 Alcohol Education and Research Council 4 4 7 8 
			 Care Quality Commission - 11,133 9,819 10,120 
			 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority 660 683 644 645 
			 Health Protection Agency(2) 15,502 17,015 19,603 19,500 
			 Human Tissue Authority 268 288 293 372 
			 Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 7,180 7,643 8,019 8,854 
			 (1 )Based on plans developed pre Arms Length Body review, now subject to review. (2 )HPA figures are as per the statutory entity at the time. The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control joined the HPA from 2009-10.

Departmental Public Relations

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monetary value was of  (a) public opinion research and  (b) public relations contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years in (i) London and (ii) each region of England.

Simon Burns: The Department's communications directorate commissioned regular tracking of public attitudes towards the national health service in England. As regional public opinion polling is carried out by strategic health authorities, we are unable to provide a breakdown by region.
	Departmental expenditure on the tracking of public attitudes contracts 2005-10:
	
		
			   Tracking of public attitudes (excluding VAT)  ( £ ) 
			 2005-06 83,480 
			 2006-07 99,200 
			 2007-08 114,867 
			 2008-09 134,343 
			 2009-10 142,440 
		
	
	Public relations companies have been contracted to support a very wide range of marketing and policy initiatives including major public health behaviour change programmes (such as tobacco control, sexual health, flu immunisation, obesity prevention, hand and respiratory hygiene and drug and alcohol harm reduction programmes) in addition to communicating to the NHS work force and supporting clinical campaigns. The work commissioned through public relations companies includes a wide range of marketing activity including: advertorials, newsletter production, conference and event management, research, creation of content and photography and stakeholder relations activity.
	Figures broken down by regions are not available as most contracts extend over several regions and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Departmental expenditure on public relations consultancies 2005-10:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Direct expenditure from Department of Health (excluding VAT)  Expenditure through Central Office of Information (excluding VAT) 
			 2005-06 5,080,773 71,756 
			 2006-07 5,017,342 65,580 
			 2007-08 6,438,491 25,582 
			 2008-09 5,397,391 4,200,876 
			 2009-10 2,981,873 3,720,838 
		
	
	The above expenditure includes additional expenditure made directly by NHS Connecting for Health (part of the Department of Health), but excludes any expenditure by arm's length bodies and non-departmental public bodies.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each region of England in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The information on the amount spent in rent by the Department for properties in total, each region and London in the past five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Total Rent 14,337,000 14,127,250 14,845,750 15, 153,250 18,359,000 
			  Regions  
			 Eastern 89,750 60,000 66,250 66,250 266,500 
			 East Midlands 18,500 0 0 0 294,000 
			 North East 44,000 35,000 35,000 35,000 163,000 
			 North West 101,000 92,000 65,000 65,000 326,000 
			 South East 273,500 273,250 256,500 256,500 591,000 
			 South West 156,500 152,000 152,000 152,000 493,000 
			 West Midlands 424,000 160,500 190,500 190,500 293,000 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 5,516,000 5,844,000 5,388,000 6,134,000 6,478,000 
			 London 7,713,750 7,510,500 8,192,500 8,254,000 9,454,500 
		
	
	All properties are in England. The amounts listed do not include VAT or serviced accommodation. Serviced accommodation costs cover all services in a building and it is not possible to break these costs down.
	The figures above include rental costs of buildings, which are deemed surplus. Surplus property was returned to the Department for disposal or sublet until the end of the lease and is managed as part of the Department's retained estate. The main reason for the increase in rent paid for 2009-10 was the rationalisation in the arms length body sector estate and a number of properties becoming surplus and being managed as part of the Department's retained estate. The vacant properties are being actively marketed. The total costs for the Department's retained estate from 2005-06 to 2009-10 are as follows:.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 1,450,000 
			 2006-07 1,312,250 
			 2007-08 1,133,250 
			 2008-09 1,238,250 
			 2009-10 4,072,500 
		
	
	Between 2005-06 and 2008-09, approximately £700,000 per annum was received from sub-lettings from surplus property and this increased to approximately £965,000 in 2009-10.

Diseases: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve health care for people with rare diseases in response to the recommendations of the chief medical officer's annual report for 2009.

Simon Burns: The chief medical officer (CMO) produces an annual report on the state of public health, in which the CMO provides a wide range of policy recommendations on public health to the Government. His report for 2009, published in March 2010, included a section which addressed treatments for rare diseases.
	The White Paper "Equity and Excellence-Liberating the NHS", published on 12 July 2010, includes our future intentions for the commissioning of specialised services. It proposes that highly specialised services which include the treatment of some rare diseases would in the future be commissioned by the National Commissioning Board. The subsequent consultation and engagement paper "Liberating the NHS: commissioning for patients", published on 22 July 2010, is seeking views on a number of questions regarding the proposals on the future arrangement of national and regional specialised services.
	Copies of both publications have already been placed in the Library.

Doctors: Manpower

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors were employed in the NHS in  (a) May 2010 and  (b) 1997.

Simon Burns: The latest available National Health Service Workforce Census details the number of doctors employed in the NHS as at 30 September 2009. The following table shows the total number of doctors employed by the NHS in September 2009 and September 1997.
	
		
			  Number (headcount) 
			   1997  2009 
			 All doctors(1,2) 89,619 140,426 
			  Of which:   
			 Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) doctors(1) 60,230 100,628 
			 General practitioners (GPs)(2) 29,339 39,798 
			 (1) Excludes medical Hospital Practitioners and medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals. (2) Retainers were first collected in 1999 and have been excluded from the 2009 figure for comparability.  Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.  Notes: 1. HCHS doctors as at 30 September each year. 2. GP data as at 1 October 1997 and 30 September 2009.  Sources: 1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census 2. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics 
		
	
	There is more recent monthly data available for April 2010. It has not been included in the reply, as this would exclude some significant groups such as GPs. The monthly data also only includes staff on the Electronic Staff Record and therefore excludes primary care and bank staff.

Drugs and Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of NHS rehabilitation services for those with  (a) drug and  (b) alcohol addiction.

Anne Milton: The Public Health White Paper, due for publication later this year will set out the role of the Public Health Service in the rehabilitation of people dependent on drugs and/or alcohol.

Drugs: Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners are in receipt of prescriptions for methadone; and what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of  (a) prescribing prisoners methadone and  (b) abstinence programmes in reducing the level of drug addiction in prison.

Paul Burstow: In 2009-10, a total of 60,067 prisoners received a clinical drug intervention. Of these, 36,323 received detoxification and 23,744 received a maintenance prescription for opioid dependency of either methadone or buprenorphine.
	The Institute of Psychiatry and the National Centre for Social Research are carrying out an independent evaluation of drug treatment and the Integrated Drug Treatment System in prisons, including maintenance prescribing and detoxification programmes. The evaluation began in 2008 and is timetabled to be completed in 2011.

Epilepsy: Specialist Nurses

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent epilepsy specialist nurses worked in the NHS  (a) in each of the last 10 years and  (b) at the latest date for which figures are available; what estimate he has made of the number of such nurses there will be in 2012; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what percentage of  (a) acute and  (b) primary care trusts employ at least one epilepsy specialist nurse.

Simon Burns: Epilepsy specialist nurses are not separately identified within the NHS Workforce Census and therefore this information is not collected centrally.
	There were 322,425 full-time equivalent national health service hospital and community health services nurses, midwifery and health visiting staff based on the September 2009 Workforce Census.

Foetal Tissue

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedure for obtaining consent for the use of foetal tissue is in place; which organisation is responsible for overseeing the proper implementation of the consent procedure; how many complaints have been brought regarding the consent procedure in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The storage and use of foetal tissue for certain purposes including research is, like all other tissue from the living, subject to the requirement for "appropriate consent" in accordance with the Human Tissue Act 2004, i.e. it requires the consent of the woman from whom it was taken.
	The Human Tissue Authority has a general function under the Act to superintend compliance with the consent requirements of the Act and codes of practice, one of which covers the subject of consent. There is not a specific procedure for complaints about the consent process and any complaint about consent would be dealt with in accordance with the general complaints procedures of the organisation concerned. Information on any complaints that may have been made is not collected centrally.

Food Standards Agency

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of each public awareness campaign undertaken by the Food Standards Agency in the last 12 months.

Anne Milton: Food Standards Agency has run the following public awareness campaigns in the last 12 months:
	
		
			  Date  Campaign  Cost (£) 
			 October 2009 Salt Awareness campaign 3,466,808. 
			 December 2009 Christmas Food Hygiene Campaign 554,188 
			 January 2010 Saturated Fat Campaign 1,606,358 
			 January 2010 Business Campaign 903,412 
			 February 2010 Regional Food Hygiene Campaign 258,419 
			 Total  6,789,185 
		
	
	These figures include all campaign costs such as advertising, production, research, marketing and public relations and online work.

Food Standards Agency

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Food Standards Agency took to measure the effectiveness of its recent campaign to encourage people to eat less salt.

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency has monitored the effectiveness of its consumer campaigns, and the reductions in average population daily salt intakes as a result of the overall salt reduction programme.
	Evaluation of the four-phase campaign suggests that the number of consumers claiming to make a special effort to cut down the amount of salt in their diet has increased by one-quarter. Of those who are doing so by checking the label, the increase has been 200%; there has been a 1,000% increase in awareness of the six grams (g) a day message; and there has been a 72% increase in the number of all adults looking at the label to find out the salt content.
	The results of the most recent urinary analysis survey, which took place in 2008, showed a significant fall in the average population daily salt intake of 0.9g (from 9.5g in 2001 to 8.6g).

Food Standards Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what representations he has received from Burson-Marsteller on the recent decisions by his Department to change the remit of the Food Standards Agency;
	(2)  what meetings he has had with Burson-Marsteller to discuss the labelling of food and with reference to food standards.

Anne Milton: We have not received any representations or had any meetings with Burson-Marsteller on changing the remit of the Food Standards Agency or on food labelling.

Food Standards Agency: Public Consultation

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what projects on public attitudes to pesticides the Food Standards Agency has funded since 1997; what the  (a) topic,  (b) start date,  (c) cost and  (d) project code was of each such project; who the main contractor was in each case; and which such projects have been completed.

Anne Milton: The following research has been commissioned in relation specifically to public attitudes to pesticides. All projects were completed and the final reports can be found at the web links provided:
	Consumer Concern Over the Use of Pesticides to Grow Food (Define Solutions)-commissioned via the Central Office of Information (COI) (COI ref: 260602). Duration of the project was January 2004 to March 2004; the total cost was £29,370.
	www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/pestresconsumeresearch.pdf
	Consumer Information Needs Regarding Pesticides (Forum Qualitative)-commissioned via COI (COI ref: 269197). Duration of the project was December 2005 to August 2006; the total cost was £53,550.
	www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/consumerpesticideexec.pdf
	Consultancy Services to Assist in the Preparation of a Strategy to Minimise Pesticide Residues in Food (ADAS Consulting). Project code PAU 154; Duration of the project was March 2003 to August 2003; the total cost was £63,856.
	www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/peststakeholdreport.pdf

Food: Allergies

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the level of funding for research into the causes and treatments of food allergies following the restructuring of the Food Standards Agency.

Anne Milton: Responsibility for policy matters on food allergy and food intolerance remains with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as this is a food safety matter.
	There has been no indication that the FSA budget will be unaffected by the Government's October spending review. The FSA is committed to ensuring that its policies are based on sound science and evidence, and is assessing future priorities, including the research programmes. The FSA is considering different models for funding research and is already exploring potential collaborative co-funding resources to help support its research objectives.

Food: Allergies

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms he plans to put in place to ensure that people with food allergies can access ingredients information when buying food and eating out after the transfer of responsibility for food labelling and provision of information in restaurants and takeaways to his Department.

Anne Milton: The responsibility for food allergy and food intolerance, including labelling and the provision of allergen information, is remaining in the Food Standards Agency (FSA), as this is a food safety matter. There will not be any change in the current legal provisions for food allergen labelling following the transfer of responsibility for general food labelling (ie labelling that is not safety or nutrition labelling) to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
	There will be close co-operation between DEFRA the FSA and the Department to support ongoing negotiations on the proposed Food Information Regulation. This regulation will incorporate existing provisions on the labelling of allergenic ingredients in pre-packed foods and is expected to introduce new requirements to provide allergen information for foods sold unpackaged, including in catering.

Food: Allergies

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve guidance on weaning to parents of young babies in order to prevent food allergies from developing; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Research is ongoing as there is considerable scientific uncertainty about introducing allergenic foods in the infant diet and whether this reduces the risk of developing a food allergy in later childhood.
	The Department's advice is that infants should be breastfed exclusively for around the first six months, as breast milk provides all the nutrients a baby needs. Thereafter, parents can introduce more solid foods alongside breastfeeding for the first year.
	Parents should avoid giving children under six months allergenic foods, such as peanuts, nuts, seeds, fish, shellfish, wheat-and other cereals that contain gluten (for example, rye, oats, barley). Information on breastfeeding, weaning, and foods to avoid during weaning is available at:
	http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/baby/

General Practitioners

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members he expects each GP consortium to have under the proposals in his Department's White Paper.

Simon Burns: We do not wish to be unduly prescriptive about the size of general practitioner commissioning consortiums. There have been widespread variations in the size and population coverage of primary care trusts (PCTs), which are currently responsible for commissioning national health service healthcare services, and there is no evidence to suggest a single 'right' size. The NHS Commissioning Board will, however, need to satisfy itself that consortiums are of sufficient size to manage financial risk effectively. The consultation document on new NHS commissioning arrangements "Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for patients", published on 22 July, seeks views on whether there should be a minimum or maximum population size for GP commissioning consortiums. A copy of the document has already been placed in the Library.

General Practitioners

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) research and  (b) other evidence on the capacity of GPs to commission services was used in preparation of his Department's recent White Paper.

Simon Burns: The White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" published on 12 July 2010, sets out our proposals for transforming the quality of commissioning by devolving decision-making to local consortiums of general practitioner (GP) practices. "Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for patients", published on 22 July, provides further details on these proposals. There is a body of evidence both from this country and internationally about the importance of involving clinicians in commissioning decisions.
	An analytical strategy was published alongside the White Paper. This set out that, between now and the legislation that will give effect to the proposals, the Department will be developing the analytical framework to give a picture of the likely effects of the White Paper.
	The Department will publish an impact assessment covering the proposals for GP commissioning alongside or shortly after its response to the consultation process. The Department will use the consultation period to inform the development of the impact assessments to ensure that a wide ranging and robust analysis is undertaken.

General Practitioners: Drugs

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether GP consortiums will be entitled to refuse to offer patients clinically appropriate drugs or treatments which have been approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence under the proposals in the NHS White Paper.

Simon Burns: The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS', published on 12 July 2010, sets out our proposals for transforming the quality of commissioning by devolving decision-making to local consortiums of general practitioner practices.
	We will be considering this issue as we develop the detail of the new commissioning arrangements but we remain committed to ensuring that patients can access drugs and treatments recommended in National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence technology appraisals.

General Practitioners: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs there are per 100,000 of population in the London boroughs of  (a) Bexley,  (b) Greenwich,  (c) Bromley and  (d) Lewisham.

Simon Burns: The following table shows the latest data available as at September 2009.
	
		
			  Primary care trusts (PCTs)  NHS Plan general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 population 
			 Bexley Care Trust 53.7 
			 Greenwich PCT 66.4 
			 Bromley PCT 71.0 
			 Lewisham PCT 76.1 
			  Note:  NHS Plan GPs per 100,000 population is calculated using mid-year 2006 resident population data with the permission of the Office for National Statistics.  Source: NHS Factsheets-Department of Health Care and Health Information Portfolio (CHIP) briefing system.

General Practitioners: Patients

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure the maintenance of quality of patient care through the planned transition to GP commissioning.

Simon Burns: The Government's White Paper "Equality and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", published on 12 July, set out proposals for putting local consortiums of general medical practitioners in charge of commissioning services to best meet the needs of local people, supported by an independent national health service commissioning board.
	We have now launched a consultation and engagement process on how we should implement these proposals. "Liberating the NHS: commissioning for patients" published on 22 July, which provides more detail on proposed arrangements and seeks views. Both publications have already been placed in the Library.
	NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson has also written to the chief executive community setting out plans for managing the transition to the new arrangements. His letter set out the initial steps that are being taken at a national level to ensure the NHS continues to deliver for today while designing a new system for tomorrow. It provides a framework within which strategic health authorities can lead this process regionally, and sets out some initial actions that commissioners and providers need to take as part of state of readiness for 2012. It is available from the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_117405
	and a copy has been placed in the Library.

General Practitioners: St Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of residents of St Albans constituency who  (a) are registered with a GP and  (b) have access to an NHS dentist.

Simon Burns: Information is not available in the format requested.
	The following table shows general practitioner (GP) registered patients for the St Albans constituency, as at September 2009.
	
		
			  Primary care trust (PCT)  GP registered patients 
			 Hertfordshire PCT 1,167,370 
			  of which:  
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 581,750 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 585,620 
			  Notes: 1. The GP Census collection contains data by trust level only. St Albans Constituency is contained within and served by Hertfordshire PCT. Hertfordshire PCT was created in April 2010 through the merging of two PCTs. These two PCTs, East and North Hertfordshire PCT and West Hertfordshire PCT, were in existence at the time of the census and so data has been shown for each of these, with a cumulative total to reflect the number of registered patients in Hertfordshire PCT. 2. Data is for the number of GP patient registrations shown on the annual GP Census collection as at 30 September 2009. However, this is not resident population data and in fact may be higher than resident population in the given areas due to factors such as multiple registrations and GP systems not being fully up-to-date. Owing to this, proportions of numbers registered (and not registered) cannot be accurately calculated by dividing the numbers presented here by resident population statistics. 3. The numbers shown here represent GP patient registrations to national health service GPs only  4.  Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	With regard to dental access, under the new dental contractual arrangements introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') over a 24 month period.
	Information on the number and proportion of patients seen in the previous 24 months, in England, is available in Table Dl and D2 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics, Quarter 3: 31 December 2009 report. Information is available at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 31 December 2009 and is provided by PCT and by strategic health authority.
	This report, published on 20 May 2010, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0910q3
	We have included in our Coalition programme a commitment to the introduction of a new dentistry contract that will focus on achieving good dental health and increasing access to the NHS dentistry.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP practices offered extended opening hours for at least one evening or weekend session a week in May 2010.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not held centrally.

Health Bill

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to present the health Bill to Parliament.

Simon Burns: As announced in the parliamentary debates on the Queen's Speech, the Government will seek to introduce a health Bill in the autumn.

Health Centres: Christchurch

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2010,  Official Report, column 112W, on health centres: Christchurch, what progress he has made in the discussions to achieve an early disposal of his Department's interest in the former health centre at Saxon Square, Christchurch.

Simon Burns: Constructive discussions continue with the landlord in order to achieve an early disposal of the Department's interest in the property.

Health Professions Council

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he has taken note of the comments on the Health Professions Council on the Government's Your Freedom website; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to review the regulatory framework of the Health Professions Council; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he plans to issue guidance to the Health Professions Council on the speed with which professional allegations are handled;
	(4)  what plans he has for the future of the Health Professions Council; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, which is responsible for the scrutiny and quality assurance of the nine health care professions regulators in the United Kingdom, recently published its annual performance review. In respect of the Health Professions Council (HPC) it commented that the HPC
	"is a well organised, efficient and cost-effective regulator. This has helped it maintain a good performance during a year which saw it assume responsibility for two further professions..."
	As we recently announced in the review of the Department's arms length bodies we intend to transfer the regulatory function of the General Social Care Council in respect of social workers to the HPC.
	The Health Professions Council is an independent statutory organisation and as such neither the Government, nor the Department, has any powers to issue guidance or interfere in its activities.
	The Government are currently considering their overall approach to the regulation of health and social care workers, including the legislative framework. No firm decisions have been made. We will of course take note of any comments we receive including comments from the Government's Your Freedom website.

Health Professions: Finance

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of his Department's expenditure on health staffing costs related to  (a) nurses,  (b) doctors,  (c) all clinical staff,  (d) all non-clinical staff and  (e) managers in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The following table indicates our estimates of the proportion of the total pay bill allocated to each of the requested staff groups in 2008-09, which is the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			   Proportion of 2008-09 pay bill (percentage) 
			 Qualified nurses 31 
			 Doctors 23 
			 All clinical staff 80 
			 All non-clinical staff 19 
			 Managers 6 
			  Notes: 1. It is not possible to precisely split pay bill between clinical and non-clinical categories. The 'clinical staff' proportion will be an over-estimate in the above analysis. This is because the financial data are collectively reported for unqualified nurses, healthcare assistants and support workers, and the cost of this group has been treated as a 'clinical' cost. In addition, the total cost of ambulance staff is reported with no indication of the clinical and non-clinical cost elements, and has likewise been treated as 'clinical staff'. As a result, the non-clinical costs will be under-estimated. 2. Around 0.4% of pay costs are for non-medical staff with an unknown classification. 3. The pay bill includes all employees of NHS trusts, primary care trusts (PCTs), strategic health authorities and foundation trusts in England. It excludes agency staff, contractors' employees, general practitioners (GPs) and other GP practice staff. 4. Foundation trusts do not submit a breakdown of their pay bill by staff group. This has been estimated.  Source: 2008-09 Trust, PCT and SHA Financial Returns and Foundation Trust Annual Reports.

Health Professions: Finance

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average cost to the NHS of employing each  (a) nurse and  (b) doctor additional to the present complement.

Simon Burns: The average cost of employing:
	a qualified nurse is estimated at £40,100 per full-time equivalent, and
	a doctor is estimated at £98,700 per full-time equivalent.
	These estimates have been derived by taking the average earnings per full-time equivalent from the Quarterly Earnings Survey for January-March 2010, published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care, and estimating the additional employer costs of national insurance and pension contributions.

Health Professions: Manpower

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors,  (b) nurses,  (c) clinical staff,  (d) non-clinical staff and  (e) managers the NHS in England employs.

Simon Burns: The latest annual national health service work force census shows that at 30 September 2009 there were 140,897 doctors, 417,164 qualified nurses, 725,579 professionally qualified clinical staff, 706,417 non-clinical staff, the majority of whom are support to clinical staff, and 44,661 managers and senior managers working in the NHS in England.
	More recent monthly data are available but these exclude some significant groups such as general practitioners, practice nurses and bank staff.
	The census numbers are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  NHS Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) and General Practice work force as at 30 September, England-2009 
			   Headcount 
			 Total staff 1,431,996 
			   
			  Professionally qualified clinical staff 725,579 
			 All doctors 140,897 
			 HCHS doctors 100,628 
			 General practitioners total 40,269 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 417,164 
			   
			  Non clinical staff 706,417 
			 Manager and senior manager 44,661 
			  Notes: 1. "Professionally qualified clinical staff" includes all doctors, qualified nursing staff, qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff and qualified ambulance staff. 2. "Non clinical staff" includes support to clinical staff, infrastructure support staff, other practice staff and other non-medical staff with unknown classifications. 3. In this instance monthly data have not been provided as they exclude significant groups that have been requested (e.g. primary care).  Monthly data: As from 21 July 2010 The Information Centre has published experimental, provisional monthly NHS work force data based on staff on the electronic staff record (ESR). Note that these do not include primary care staff (e.g. GPs and their staff) or bank staff however they do include locum doctors (not included in the annual work force census). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhchsworkforce

Health Services: Finance

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether GP consortiums will be entitled to take any unspent part of their  (a) commissioning budget and  (b) management allowance as profit under the proposals in the NHS White Paper.

Simon Burns: Within commissioning budgets, general practitioner (GP) consortiums will receive a maximum management allowance to reflect the management costs associated with commissioning. Consortiums will be free to decide how to use this management allowance to carry out commissioning activities.
	With the exception of this management allowance the consortium's commissioning budget must be used exclusively for the commissioning of patient care. It will be distinct from the income that GP practices earn under their primary medical care contract, from which they both meet their practice expenses, and derive their personal income.
	Health outcomes for patients will depend both on the quality of services that GP practices provide and on the quality of GP commissioning. We therefore propose, subject to discussion with the British Medical Association and the profession, that a proportion of GP practice income should be linked to the outcomes that practices achieve collaboratively through commissioning consortiums, and the effectiveness with which they manage national health service financial resources.
	'Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for patients', published on 22 July, sets out further information on the intended arrangements for GP commissioning, providing the basis for fuller engagement with primary care professionals and the public.

Health Services: Greater London

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the implementation of the Southeast London Healthcare Trust 'A Picture of Health' programme to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: This is a matter for the local national health service. The Secretary of State for Health has outlined four tests that decisions on NHS service changes must meet. Change must improve patient outcomes; consider patient choice; have support from general practitioner commissioners; and be based on sound clinical evidence. The NHS in South East London will need to make sure any plans for change have local support and meet these tests.

Health Services: Manpower

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people each strategic health authority employed on the most recent date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people each primary care trust employed on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The latest Monthly Workforce Statistics shows the number of people employed by each strategic health authority and primary care trust in England in April 2010.
	The numbers are shown in the table which has been placed in the Library.

Health Services: Prisoners

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be responsible for delivering  (a) health and  (b) mental health services in prisons (i) during and (ii) after the implementation of the changes in commissioning services proposed in his Department's White Paper.

Paul Burstow: Primary care trusts are responsible for delivering healthcare services in prisons during the White Paper consultation period and until the health Bill is passed. Once this is enacted, the national health service commissioning board will be responsible for commissioning prison health services and will work with criminal justice agencies and general practitioner consortia to determine the most appropriate arrangements for prison health services.

Hospitals: Admissions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2010,  Official Report, column 786W, on hospitals: admissions, what the 10 most common reasons are for which patients of each healthcare  (a) provider and  (b) commissioner were transferred from residential care to hospital care in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: We are unable to provide the information in the format requested as a breakdown of reasons for admissions from residential care at provider and commissioner level would risk patient confidentiality.
	However, the following tables show finished admission episodes by strategic health authority of commissioner where the primary diagnosis (the main reason the patient was admitted to hospital) was one of the top 20 primary diagnoses for patients transferred from residential care to hospital care nationally in 2008-09. This is not a count of patients as a patient may be admitted to hospital more than once within the year.
	
		
			 Strategic health authority of commissioner (SHA code) 
			  Primary diagnosis  Diagno sis code  Total  North East (Q30)  North West (Q31)  Yorkshir e and Humber (Q32)  East Midlands (Q33)  West Mid lan ds (Q34) 
			 All finished admission episodes  20,635 4,089 3,860 3,095 1,223 1,980 
			 Pneumonia organism unspecified J18 1,226 242 187 297 45 161 
			 Other disorders of urinary system N39 957 200 151 149 54 126 
			 Unknown and unspecified causes of morbidity R69 880 153 122 80 72 77 
			 Fracture of femur S72 809 168 156 147 24 81 
			 Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection J22 672 95 133 111 35 127 
			 Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease J44 413 83 90 75 11 65 
			 Syncope and collapse R55 385 119 86 52 17 33 
			 Pain in throat and chest R07 328 102 68 66 12 23 
			 Heart failure I50 307 41 49 65 14 42 
			 Senility R54 307 67 74 57 18 31 
			 Other non-infective gastroenteritis and colitis K52 276 76 59 31 20 30 
			 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids J69 266 35 51 84 8 36 
			 Vascular dementia F01 259 20 78 20 14 22 
			 Other diseases of digestive system K92 246 51 50 39 11 29 
			 Abnormalities of breathing R06 239 108 41 18 6 13 
			 Cellulitis L03 237 49 60 23 17 28 
			 Alzheimer's disease G30 233 18 56 25 27 31 
			 Schizophrenia F20 232 * 62 9 20 17 
			 Other symptoms and signs involving cognitive function and awareness R41 231 84 38 16 17 13 
			 Unspecified dementia F03 216 32 33 40 14 32 
		
	
	
		
			 Strategic health authority of commissioner (SHA code) 
			  Primary diagnosis  Diagnosis code  Total  East of England (Q35)  London (Q36)  South East Coast (Q37)  South Central (Q38)  South West (Q39)  Scotland/ Wales (S/Q99 )  Not know n (Y) 
			 All finished admission episodes  20,635 842 1,356 1,726 846 1,290 87 241 
			 Pneumonia organism unspecified J18 1,226 * 34 109 44 76 * 3 
			 Other disorders of urinary system N39 957 * 39 118 34 59 * 3 
			 Unknown and unspecified causes of morbidity R69 880 34 150 * 23 83 * 68 
			 Fracture of femur S72 809 33 22 82 47 38 10 1 
			 Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection J22 672 * 23 63 33 34 * 3 
			 Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease J44 413 * 17 24 17 16 * 0 
			 Syncope and collapse R55 385 * * 27 12 17 10 1 
			 Pain in throat and chest R07 328 7 12 19 9 9 0 1 
			 Heart failure I50 307 * 8 31 17 24 * 1 
			 Senility R54 307 7 7 24 * 15 * 0 
			 Other non-infective gastroenteritis and colitis K52 276 * 12 21 17 * * 1 
			 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids J69 266 * 8 18 * 16 0 0 
			 Vascular dementia F01 259 13 23 14 * 36 * 6 
			 Other diseases of digestive system K92 246 6 * 19 12 22 * 0 
			 Abnormalities of breathing R06 239 * * 20 12 9 6 0 
			 Cellulitis L03 237 * 7 18 9 18 * 1 
			 Alzheimer's disease G30 233 * 20 21 * 16 0 3 
			 Schizophrenia F20 232 12 81 8 8 * 0 7 
			 Other symptoms and signs involving cognitive function and awareness R41 231 * * 25 13 19 * 1 
			 Unspecified dementia F03 216 6 14 15 15 10 0 5 
			  Notes: 1. A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. The strategic health authority of commissioner (SHA code) field identifies the strategic health authority (SHA) in which the commissioner is located. 3. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. 4. This list of 20 diagnoses is the top 20 primary diagnoses for finished admission episodes where patients were transferred from residential care to hospital nationally in 2008-09. 5. The admission source field contains a code which identifies where the patient was immediately prior to admission. The following codes for admission source were used to classify patients as being transferred from residential care to hospital treatment: 54 = NHS run nursing home, residential care home or group home 65 = Local authority Part 3 residential accommodation: where care is provided (from 1996-97) 69 = Local authority home or care (1989-90 to 1995-96) 85 = Non-NHS (other than Local Authority) run residential care home (from 1996-97) 86 = Non-NHS (other than Local Authority) run nursing home (from 1996-97 to 2006-07)  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Hospitals: Buildings

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital building schemes were completed between 1997 and May 2010.

Simon Burns: There were 119 hospital schemes approved to proceed to construction after May 1997, which were completed and open to patients before 11 May 2010.

Hospitals: Greater London

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be responsible for maintaining  (a) accident and emergency,  (b) maternity,  (c) paediatric and  (d) trauma departments at hospitals in North London during the implementation of the commissioning of changes proposed in his Departments White Paper.

Simon Burns: Acute trusts in North London will be responsible for maintaining all these services during the implementation of the commissioning of changes proposed in the Department's White Paper.

In Vitro Fertilisation: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people resident in the London borough of Bexley received NHS funding for IVF and IVI treatment in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many such people received funding for more than one course of treatment.

Anne Milton: Information is not collected centrally on the number of patients who have received national health service funded fertility treatments in the London borough of Bexley.

Independent Living Fund

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Commission on the Funding of Care and Support plans to investigate the role of the Independent Living Fund.

Paul Burstow: The independent Commission on the Funding of Care and Support has been asked to make recommendations on how to achieve an affordable and sustainable funding system for care and support for all adults in England. However, the long term future of the Independent Living Fund, which operates across the United Kingdom, will be considered and settled as part of the forthcoming spending review.

Malnutrition: Older People

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to prevent older people becoming malnourished in hospital.

Anne Milton: The High Impact Action (HIA), "Keeping Patients Nourished" was launched last year. This work, which is led by the chief nurses from the 10 strategic health authorities with input from various partner organisations including the Department, identified that keeping patients nourished, especially older people, was a priority area of care upon which nurses and midwives could facilitate progress. Support materials have been made available to help nurses deliver this HIA.
	There is also the "Better Hospital Food Programme", which focuses on consistent delivery of high quality food served to patients.
	Providers of regulated activities must be registered with the Care Quality Commission and meet the essential levels of safety and quality set out in the registration requirements.

Malnutrition: Older People

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of older people in hospital were malnourished  (a) on admission and  (b) at discharge in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The information is shown in the following table. The top figure shows the total amount of hospital episodes regardless of the condition, and is included to put the malnutrition figures into context.
	
		
			  Table to show count and percentage of admissions( 1)  and discharges (last episode of care)( 2)  in hospital where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis( 3)  of malnutrition( 4)  for people aged 65 and over in 2008-09 
			   Total finished admission episodes  Total in year discharge episodes 
			 Total episodes for people aged 65 and over 4,718,112 4,775,892 
			 Total episodes for people aged 65 and over with a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition 1,352 1,613 
			 Percentage of total episodes where there was a primary and secondary diagnosis of malnutrition 0.03 0.03 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  (2 ) Discharge A discharge episode is the last episode during a hospital stay (a spell), where the patient is discharged from the hospital or transferred to another hospital.  (3 ) Number of episodes in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis The number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is counted only once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. (4) ICD10 Clinical Codes The ICD-10 codes for Malnutrition are: E40.X Kwashiorkor E41.X Nutritional marasmus E42.X Marasmic kwashiorkor E43.X Unspecified severe protein-energy malnutrition E44 Protein energy malnutrition of moderate and mild degree E45.X Retarded development following protein energy malnutrition E46 Unspecified protein energy malnutrition 025 Malnutrition in pregnancy.   Note: Data quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.   Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Medical Treatments

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions his Department places on the  (a) services,  (b) treatments and  (c) medications which may be provided to patients through (i) GPs and (ii) other NHS facilities.

Simon Burns: Under their terms of service, general practitioners (GPs) are allowed to prescribe any product, including any unlicensed product or product not licensed for a particular indication (often known as 'off-label' prescribing), which they consider to be a medicine necessary for the treatment of their patients under the national health service, subject to two provisos. These are, firstly, that the product is not included in schedules 1 or 2 to the NHS (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs etc) Regulations 2004, otherwise known as the 'Selected List Scheme', and secondly, GPs are prepared to justify any challenges to their prescribing by their primary care trust.

Mental Health Services

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his proposals to incentivise health providers to reduce numbers of emergency re-admissions will apply to re-admissions of mental health patients.

Paul Burstow: The non-payment for readmissions announced in the 'Revision to the Operating Framework for the NHS in England in 2010-11' (page 12) applies to acute trusts providing physical health care. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	The reason it will not apply to mental health trusts is that we are implementing a payment system for mental health services in 2012-13 that covers both in-patient and community care. Under this system, a mental health provider will be paid for a person's care for a time period (for example six months), and that payment will cover the costs of all care given, such as an inpatient stay, contact with a community mental health team and psychological therapies.
	There is, therefore, an in-built incentive in this approach to help support people in the community and tackle high readmission rates.

Mortuaries

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the advisory guidelines on the identification and handling of deceased patients are followed in each hospital.

Anne Milton: "Care and Respect in Death, Good Practice Guidance for NHS Mortuary Staff", was published by the Department in 2006. It sets out eight key principles of good practice, and practical guidance based on them. It provides a basis for, but does not replace, the detailed standard operating procedures which every mortuary must have in place, and which will be adapted to local and individual circumstances. As it is advisory guidance, we would expect the national health service to have regard to it, but we do not monitor compliance. This is consistent with the principle set out in "Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS" that we should be clear about what the NHS should achieve; we should not prescribe how it should be achieved.
	"Care and Respect in Death" has been placed in the Library and is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4137969

Motor Neurone Disease

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to instruct the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to develop a national strategy for motor neurone disease.

Simon Burns: We have no such plans. The quality requirements contained in the national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions set out standards for care for people with neurological conditions, including motor neurone disease (MND). The NSF covers all aspects of care from assessment, through diagnosis, treatment and support, to end of life decisions and palliative care and makes specific reference to addressing the needs of people with rapidly progressing conditions such as MND, where services need to respond quickly.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has changed its terminology for certain technology appraisal decisions from partially recommended to optimised; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The choice of terminology is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an independent body. However, we understand that NICE concluded that the term "optimised" more appropriately reflected the nature of the technology appraisal recommendations in question.

Nerve Damage

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department on research on repairing nerve damage in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Estimated expenditure by the Department on research relating to nerve repair is shown in the table.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2007-08 2.2 
			 2008-09 5.4 
			 2009-10 5.0 
		
	
	This expenditure was made through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centres established in April 2007. In previous years, the main part of the Department's total expenditure on health research was devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual research projects including some relating to nerve repair are available on the National Research Register Archive at:
	http://www.portal.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NRRArchive.aspx

NHS

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with local health trusts on levels of jobs and services in NHS facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Local national health service organisations, with their knowledge of the health care needs of their local populations, are best placed to determine the work force and services required to deliver safe patient care within their available resources.
	The Government have announced proposals to abolish arm's-length bodies that do not need to exist, streamline the functions of those that do, and transfer functions that can be better delivered by other organisations. On 26 July 2010, the Department published a review on the 18 arm's-length bodies, which can be found on the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_117691
	In addition; a copy of the report entitled "Liberating the NHS: Report of the arm's-length bodies review" has been placed in the Library.

NHS Constitution

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the implementation of proposals in the NHS White Paper requires amendment of the NHS Constitution.

Simon Burns: The White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", emphasises the Government's commitment to uphold the NHS Constitution. The Government are currently consulting on the detailed implementation of the reforms in the White Paper. It may be necessary to amend the NHS Constitution and, if so, the Government will consult on proposals, in line with the requirements of the Health Act 2009.

NHS: Accountancy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the costs that will be incurred in establishing the monitoring arrangements to ensure accountability in the new system for management of health general practices.

Simon Burns: The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' laid out proposals for fundamental changes to the ways that the national health service is structured and run. The precise costs of the transition to the new system, and of running the new organisation, will not be known until the new organisations that will underpin the new system have been designed in more detail. A number of consultations on how the new organisations should be designed have been published, and once the results of this are known we will publish the costs of the new system in an impact assessment.

NHS: Finance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has undertaken on the cost of commissioning in the NHS; and what the percentage of the NHS budget this represented in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: At present, commissioning of national health service services is predominantly carried out by primary care trusts (PCTs). However, PCTs' accounts do not separately identify all the costs associated with their commissioning activities.
	The White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" sets out the Government's proposals for NHS health care services to be commissioned in future by general practitioner (GP) consortia, supported by an independent NHS Commissioning Board. Our proposals for GP commissioning include setting a maximum allowance for management costs. The Department is committed to ensuring that there is in future a consistent way of classifying and recording management costs, both for GP commissioning consortia and for the NHS Commissioning Board.

NHS: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he made in advance of publishing the Health White Paper of the projected cost to the public purse of the planned changes in NHS fund management; what evidence he obtained on the projected cost; and from what budget he plans to meet these transitional costs.

Simon Burns: The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence Liberating the NHS' laid out proposals for fundamental changes to the ways that the national health service is structured and run. The precise costs of the transition to the new system, and of running the new organisation, will not be known until the new organisations that will underpin the new system have been designed in more detail. A number of consultations on how the new organisations should be designed have been published, and once the results of this are known we will publish the costs of the new system in an impact assessment. We anticipate that the costs of the transition to the new system will be met from within the Department's departmental expenditure limit.

NHS: Innovation

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for the future of NHS Innovations; who will be responsible for innovation within the NHS at  (a) local and  (b) national level after the implementation of changes proposed in his Department's White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Responsibility for commissioning the services provided by the nine innovation hubs (NHS Innovations) and to promote innovation in the national health service currently rests with strategic health authorities, which will continue until March 2012.
	The White Paper, 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' sets a clear direction with a focus on greater decentralisation and freedoms for NHS trusts, more responsibility for general practitioners, patients and society.
	In light of this, the Department and strategic health authorities are considering the requirements to support innovation in the future health and social care landscape.

NHS: Per Capita Costs

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of funding per head from the NHS for residents in the London boroughs of  (a) Bexley,  (b) Greenwich,  (c) Bromley and  (d) Lewisham in the latest period in which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Information is not collected in the format requested.
	The Department of Health currently allocates revenue funding not to boroughs but directly to primary care trusts (PCTs) or, in some areas, care trusts.
	The following table sets out revenue allocations per-head made to Bexley Care Trust, Greenwich Teaching PCT, Bromley PCT and Lewisham PCT in 2010-11, the most recent year for which figures are available.
	
		
			  2010-11 
			   Per-head allocation (£) 
			 Bexley Care Trust 1,576 
			 Bromley PCT 1,593 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 1,873 
			 Lewisham PCT 1,961 
			 England average 1,612 
			  Source: Financial Planning and Allocations Division, Department of Health.

NHS: Reorganisation

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost to the public purse is of planned NHS reorganisation in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12 and  (c) 2012-13.

Simon Burns: The White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" laid out proposals for fundamental changes to the ways that the national health service is structured and run. The precise costs of the transition to the new system will not be known until the new organisations that will underpin the new system have been designed in more detail.
	A number of consultations on how the new organisations should be designed have been published, and once the results of this are known we will publish the costs of the new system in an impact assessment.

NHS: Reorganisation

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he has allocated to meet the costs of redundancies resulting from the proposed restructuring of healthcare provision.

Simon Burns: The White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" laid out proposals for fundamental changes to the ways that the national health service is structured and run. The precise costs of the transition to the new system, including the costs of any redundancies, will not be known until the new organisations that will underpin the new system have been designed in more detail.
	A number of consultations on how the new organisations should be designed have been published, and once the results of this are known we will publish the costs of the new system in an impact assessment. However, we have made it clear that the running costs of the new system will be lower than the running costs of the current system.

NHS: Reorganisation

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation his Department has had with service users and carers on the proposals in the White Paper, Liberating the NHS.

Simon Burns: The manifestos of both parties of the coalition contained clear plans for the national health service. By publishing a strategy in the White Paper, and providing clear leadership and purpose for the NHS, the Government have initiated a full engagement process with all external partners, including service users and carers, on the detail of how best to implement these changes. A number of supporting consultation documents have been published providing further detail and opportunity for engagement.

NHS: Reorganisation

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional payment local authorities will receive to carry out the new functions described on page 49 of his Department's White Paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS.

Simon Burns: "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" outlines an enhanced role for local authorities in relation to health improvement, joint commissioning and local voice.
	Primary care trust responsibilities for local health improvement will transfer to local authorities, who will employ the director of public health, jointly appointed with the new public health service. The Department will create a ring-fenced public health budget and, within this, local directors of public health will be responsible for health improvement funds allocated according to relative population health need. The local ring-fenced public health budget will be based on current identifiable expenditure. The allocation formula for those funds will include a new "health premium" designed to promote action to improve population-wide health and reduce health inequalities. Work is currently under way to determine baseline spending and the details of how local ring-fenced public health budgets will be determined. Further details will be made available in due course.
	Local authorities will be given the new function of joining up the commissioning of local national health service services, social care and health improvement. They will also be responsible for funding local HealthWatch organisations, as local consumer champions, building on the current role of local involvement networks (LINks). The Government are currently consulting on whether local HealthWatch should also take on the wider role of providing NHS complaints advocacy services and supporting individuals to exercise choice. The Government are considering what funding needs to be transferred to local authorities to reflect these new functions.

Nutrition

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 July 2010,  Official Report, column 12WS, on machinery of government changes, on which date responsibility for nutrition policy will transfer from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to his Department; and whether current FSA programmes will continue until transfer.

Anne Milton: The date of transfer of responsibility for nutrition policy for England from the Food Standards Agency to the Department has yet to be determined.
	Current nutrition policy programmes will continue in the Food Standards Agency until transfer.

Organs: Donors

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the number of  (a) UK citizens who went abroad to find human organs for transplant and  (b) human organs trafficked into the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Statistics on organ transplants which are carried out outside the United Kingdom are not available. The trafficking of human organs is illegal in the UK under the Human Tissue Act 2004 and Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006.
	There is no comprehensive source of data on the scale of this illegal activity.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Welsh Assembly Government on the operation of cross-border co-operation arrangements delivering health care following his proposed structural changes in England.

Anne Milton: Since the election, there have been no formal discussions between the Secretary of State for Health and the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services; a meeting is being planned for later this year.

Pain: Vaccination

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when chymopain injections ceased to be licensed for use in the UK.

Simon Burns: The fast licence for Chymodiactin Injection, containing chymopapain, was cancelled on 19 November 2003.

Pain: Vaccination

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) formal complaints have been made and  (b) legal proceedings issued in respect of complications arising from or following the administration of a chymopain injection in the last five years.

Simon Burns: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Pulmonary Embolism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information he has received on the number of providers regularly undertaking root cause analysis on all confirmed cases of hospital-acquired pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what information he has received on the number of providers regularly undertaking local audits on the percentage of people risk-assessed for venous thromboembolism who receive the appropriate prophylaxis in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. From 1 April 2010, the NHS standard contract for acute services requires providers to report to their lead commissioner on local audits of the percentage of patients risk-assessed for venous thromboembolism, who receive the appropriate prophylaxis, and report to their lead commissioner on root cause analysis of all confirmed cases of hospital acquired pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.

Smoking

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate has been made of the number of people who were smokers  (a) before the introduction of the smoking ban in public places and  (b) on the latest date for which information is available.

Anne Milton: Smokefree legislation came into effect on 1 July 2007. Smoking prevalence in England in 2006 was 22%, and the latest figure is 21% in 2008. Both figures are from the Office for National Statistics report on smoking prevalence is published in 'General Lifestyle Survey 2008: Smoking and drinking among adults, 2008', which has already been placed in the Library.
	The primary aim of smokefree legislation is to provide protection from the hazards of exposure to second hand smoke in enclosed work and public places.
	The Government are continuing their work on tobacco control, which includes developing and monitoring the evidence base, in the context of a focus on public health.

Smoking

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake a review of all aspects of the ban on smoking in public places before bringing forward proposals to change the scope of that ban.

Anne Milton: We have no plans to change the scope of the existing law on smokefree public places and workplaces.

Smoking: Cars

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations his Department has received on the prohibition of smoking in cars carrying children; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department regularly receives correspondence from members of the public, health professionals and academics calling for the complete prohibition of smoking in cars carrying children because of the evidence of the damage to the health that results from exposure of children to second hand smoke in a confined space.
	We are considering how best to tackle this issue in the context of our focus on public health. In the meantime we would strongly urge all smokers to stop smoking in the presence of children.

Strokes: Health Services

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to ensure that  (a) community-based stroke physiotherapy services improve and  (b) progress in post-hospital support for stroke survivors matches that being made in hospital care.

Simon Burns: The Department recognises that improvements in rehabilitation and long-term care for stroke survivors have been slower than in other parts of the pathway. We have made it, therefore, a key area for improvement in our accelerating stroke improvement work. This aims to deliver further, faster progress in improving stroke services in the current financial year.

Sunbeds: Young People

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timetable he has set for bringing into force each of the powers to protect young people from sunbeds provided for in the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010.

Anne Milton: The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 (the Act) comes into force on 8 April 2011. The purpose of the Act is to prevent people under the age of 18 from using sunbeds on commercial premises, by making it an offence for sunbed operators to allow people under the age of 18 access to sunbeds on their premises.
	We are currently considering the regulation making powers contained in the Act. At this time, no decisions have been taken on these powers and no timetable has been set.

Surgery

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) heart and  (b) other operations were carried out in the NHS in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 1996-97.

Simon Burns: This information is in the following table:
	
		
			  A count of finished consultant episodes( 1)  where there was a main or secondary procedure or intervention( 2)  of (a) the heart and (b) all procedures and inventions for 2008-09 and 1996-97( 3)  Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Procedure group  2008-09  1996-97 
			 Heart Procedures and Interventions 315,348 160,152 
			 All Procedures and Interventions 9,277,407 5,925,915 
			 (1) Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Number of episodes with a (named) main or secondary procedure The number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and four prior to 2002-03) procedure fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one procedure field of the record. Note that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients under-going a 'cataract operation' would tend to have at least two procedures-removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one-counted in a single episode. Operations have been defined using the following codes: Heart Procedures and Interventions OPCS K01-K78 All Procedures and Interventions 2008-09 OPCS 4.4 - A01-O10, O15-X97, 1996-97 OPCS 4.2 A01 - X59 (3) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data.  Note: It should be noted that the count of 'heart procedures and interventions' cannot be subtracted from the count of 'all procedures and interventions' to get a count of 'other non-heart procedures and interventions' as some patients will have a heart and non-heart procedure in the same episode of care.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Swine Flu

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of deaths in England where influenza A (H1N1) was  (a) the primary cause and  (b) a contributory factor in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  whether his Department has received an estimate by the World Health Organisation on the likely number of  (a) infections and  (b) deaths resulting from influenza A (H1N1) in England since June 2009.

Anne Milton: The most recently available estimate for deaths in England related to pandemic influenza A (H1N1) was 363. A confirmed death was defined as related to pandemic H1N1 (2009) influenza if recorded on any part of the death certificate or confirmed on laboratory testing, either before or after death. This number therefore includes deaths where influenza A (H1N1) was the primary cause or a contributory factor.
	In December 2009 an analysis of available data from death certificates was performed. The resulting paper was co-authored by England's Chief Medical Officer and published in the  British Medical Journal (BMJ) on 10 December 2009. Of the 138 deaths recorded by that date, pandemic A/H1N1 was shown to have led directly to death (part one of the death certificate) in 74 cases, and recorded as contributing to death in 23 cases (part two of the death certificate). Another 30 positive (microbiological) tests for pandemic A/H1N1 had not been recorded on death certificates, while 11 death certificates were still to be issued in cases where a positive test had been found. Re-analysis of death certificates has not been performed since this time and it is therefore not possible to provide any updated estimates. It would be expected that these proportions would remain roughly similar when applied to the larger deaths cohort. The figures and full analysis can be found on the BMJ website at:
	www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/dec10_1/b5213
	The Health Protection Agency have confirmed that the United Kingdom (including England) was not sent any estimates by the World Health Organisation on the likely number of infections and deaths resulting from influenza A (H1N1).

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The Department has spent the following on its central contracts for taxis since April 2004:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Addison Lee  Green Cars  Computer Cabs  Total 
			 2004-05 423,212.06 - - 423,212.06 
			 2005-06 414,100.68 - - 414,100.68 
			 2006-07 306,309.56 - - 306,309.56 
			 2007-08 336,933.86 - - 336,933.86 
			 2008-09 291,985.23 (1)22,935.58 - 314,920.81 
			 2009-10 184,328.72 23,043.58 8,471.56 215,843.86 
			 (1) The Green Cars contract commenced in September 2008 
		
	
	The central contracts with Addison Lee and Green Cars terminated on 31 October 2009. The central contract with Computer Cabs began on 1 November 2009 and is currently in use by staff for whom a reasonable adjustment is required.
	The figures supplied above, go back six years in accordance with the Retention Schedule, which is informed by the National Archives 'Records Management Retention Scheduling-Employee Personnel Records' (page 6, 'Travel and Subsistence-claims and authorisation'-retention period of six years).
	In addition to the central contracts there is a local contract between the Department's Communications Directorate and CityFleet. This began in February 2010 and up to the end of the financial year 2009-10 cost £218.69.
	Other taxi fares may be claimed via staff expenses. Since July 2008, when the Department's Business Management System was launched the figures are as follows:
	
		
			   Total (£) 
			 2008-09 108,424.55 
			 2009-10 153,158.48 
		
	
	The Department's accounting system in operation before July 2008, known as VISTA, did not have a specific sub code for taxis and so a figure cannot be supplied without scrutinizing individual claims at disproportionate cost.

Thromboembolism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce compulsory education on the prevention of venous thromboembolism into the education syllabus for medical undergraduates, nurses and allied health professionals.

Simon Burns: The General Medical Council is the regulator for all stages of medical training. Venous thromboembolism prevention is currently included as an element of the patient safety aspects of curricula at undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional education programmes, through ongoing work with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, and in discussion with the General Medical Council.

Thromboembolism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking jointly with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to develop a national drug chart which includes risk assessment for venous thromboembolism and the provision of appropriate prophylaxis.

Simon Burns: The Department has had discussions with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges on the use of prompts for venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment and prophylaxis on hospital drug charts. We are currently considering appropriate support for this intervention and for building similar prompts into hospital electronic prescribing and drug administration systems. The Department will continue to work with medical, nursing and pharmacy leadership bodies to seek their support for successful implementation of VTE prevention strategies.

Thromboembolism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role the Care Quality Commission will have in monitoring compliance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence quality standards on venous thromboembolism as part of their national indicators and assessment requirements for 2010-11.

Simon Burns: None. The indicators to be used by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in any assessment for 2010-11 are as described in the Revision to the Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2010-11 which was published on 21 June 2010. A copy is in the Library. Through its registration function the CQC will also ensure that national health service providers meet essential levels of quality and safety.
	The first three National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Quality Standards, covering stroke, dementia and VTE prevention, were launched on 30 June. The Government's recent White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" made clear that quality standards should become a central underpinning element of the whole quality improvement system for the NHS, and a key tool at the disposal of the proposed new NHS Commissioning Board and local commissioners. NICE quality standards will also support the proposed NHS outcomes framework. We launched a full public consultation on proposals for the framework on 19 July 2010, which can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/LiberatingtheNHS/index.htm

Thromboembolism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of hospitals achieved the nationally defined CQUIN goal on the reduction of venous thromboembolism of risk assessing 90 per cent. of hospital inpatients using the national risk assessment tool.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect specific data on the achievement of goals agreed through the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) framework. Assessing and rewarding achievement of both locally and nationally defined CQUIN goals is the responsibility of local commissioners as part of their contractual relationship with providers. However, in 2010-11 providers must demonstrate achievement of the national CQUIN goal on reducing venous-thromboembolism (VTE) through a national data collection on VTE risk assessment, which started in June 2010. Providers are required to submit their first data return for June no later than 28 July 2010. We will be reviewing the quality of this data with a view to later publication.
	For the national CQUIN goal on VTE, the period over which commissioners will assess achievement during 2010-11 is a matter for local negotiation between commissioners and providers, although published guidance states that achievement of the 90% must be over at least a full quarter to earn the related CQUIN payment. From the CQUIN schemes the Department has seen so far, it seems that many providers are aiming to achieve the goal during the last quarter of 2010-11.

Thromboembolism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of hospitals returned the CQUIN mandatory data collection forms on the nationally defined goal of reducing the incidence of venous thromboembolism by the deadline of 1 June 2010.

Simon Burns: The mandatory venous thromboembolism risk assessment data collection required from providers of acute national health service services commenced on 1 June 2010. Providers are required to submit their first data return for June no later than 28 July 2010. We will be reviewing the quality of this data with a view to later publication.

Tobacco: Sales

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger) of 19 July 2010,  Official Report, column 96W, on tobacco: sales, what recent discussions he has had on the implementation of the provisions in the Health Act 2009 in respect of the prohibition of sales of tobacco products from vending machines from 1 October 2011.

Anne Milton: We continue to consider how best to tackle smoking prevalence in the context of our focus on public health. To date no cross-Government discussions have taken place in respect of tobacco sales from vending machines.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by his Department for use by trade unions in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The Department has well established and constructive industrial relations arrangements. The granting of reasonable facilities and facility time by the Department make an important contribution to the success of the organisation.
	It is not possible to make an estimate of the value of total facilities provided by the Department for use by trade unions for each year. The Facilities Agreement sets out what facilities are made available to trades unions. These include office accommodation, access to conference rooms, office furniture, telephones and information technology. Trade unions also have access to typing and reprographic services.
	In 2009-10 the notional cost of accommodation in Skipton House, London was £20,620 per annum. In Quarry House, Leeds the notional cost of space provided was £17,109 per annum.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The Department has well established and constructive industrial relations arrangements. These have been in place for many years and do involve funded facility time.
	The Department employs staff who have dedicated accredited union-related duties. These representatives are generally full-time roles. Our records back to 1997 do not include information about the hours worked for each member of staff.
	According to our records the number of staff in each year who had "full-time" or "significant time" dedicated to union duties is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Headcount 
			 2010-11(1) 6 
			 2009-10 6 
			 2008-09 6 
			 2007-08 6 
			 2006-07 6 
			 2005-06 7 
			 2004-05 8 
			 2003-04 9 
			 2002-03 8 
			 2001-02 9 
			 2000-01 10 
			 1999-2000 8 
			 1998-99 9 
			 1997-98 6 
			 (1 )Based on year to date 
		
	
	Other accredited representatives, funded locally by directorates, spend limited time (less than 5% of their time) on union duties. To establish the hours involved would incur disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: The Department has well established and constructive industrial relations arrangements. These have been in place for many years and do involve funded facility time.
	It is not possible to provide the information in the ranges requested because the Department's records on union activities are not held in this form.
	The Department employs staff who have dedicated, accredited union-related duties. These representatives generally do so in full-time roles. Central records do not include information about the hours worked by each member of staff.
	The following table sets out how many staff in each year who had "full-time" or "significant time" dedicated to union duties, spending 25 days or more on union-related duties.
	
		
			   Headcount 
			 2010-11(1) 6 
			 2009-10 6 
			 2008-09 6 
			 2007-08 6 
			 2006-07 6 
			 2005-06 7 
			 2004-05 8 
			 2003-04 9 
			 2002-03 8 
			 2001-02 9 
			 2000-01 10 
			 1999-2000 8 
			 1998-99 9 
			 1997-98 6 
			 (1) Based on year to date 
		
	
	Other accredited representatives, funded locally by directorates, spend limited time (less than 5% of their time) on union duties. To establish the hours involved would incur disproportionate cost.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: Any expenditure on alcohol is held by individual teams and it would incur disproportionate cost to collate this information. The Department's Code of Business Conduct requires that the provision of alcohol as an element of hospitality must be limited and reasonable, and that any hospitality provided should be modest and necessary for the effective conduct of departmental business.
	This is in accordance with the principles of the Treasury guidance 'Managing Public Money' and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

CABINET OFFICE

British Constitution

Paul Murphy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he plans to meet the First Minister of  (a) Northern Ireland,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Wales to discuss the Government's proposed constitutional reforms.

Francis Maude: The Deputy Prime Minister has responsibility for political and constitutional reform. I therefore have no plan to meet the First Ministers of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to discuss constitutional reform.

Business

Richard Fuller: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of small businesses started between 2000 and 2005 in  (a) Bedford constituency,  (b) the East of England and  (c) the UK were still trading in 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what proportion of small businesses started between 2000 and 2005 in (a) Bedford constituency, (b) the Hast of England and (c) the UK were still trading in 2010.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and actives are available for 2002 onwards from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	Information on business survival is available from 2003. The table below contains the information available on small enterprise births in Bedford, the East of England and the UK for the years 2003 to 2005, along with the number that survived into 2008, the latest period for which data are available.
	
		
			  Small Enterprise Births 2003-05 and survival into 2008 for Bedford, East of England and the UK 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			   Births  Survival into 2008  %  Births  Survival into 2008  %  Births  Survival into 2008  % 
			 UK 266,530 124,160 47 279,640 152,870 55 274,405 177,465 65 
			 East of England 26,110 12,815 49 27,570 15,460 56 26,160 17,255 66 
			 Bedford 415 200 48 400 205 51 405 260 64 
			  Note: Small enterprises are defined as 0-49 employment.

Business: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small businesses in Leeds North West constituency had a turnover of  (a) between £70,000 and £100,000 and  (b) over £100,000 in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many small businesses in Leeds North West constituency had a turnover of (a) between £70.000 and £100,000
	and (b) over £100,000 in the most recent year for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on business counts are available from the ONS release UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The attached table contains data from 2009 and shows the count of small VAT and/or PAYE based enterprises in Leeds North West constituency by employee and turnover size band.
	
		
			  Count of VAT or PAYE based enterprises with 0-50 employment by turnover size 
			   Turnover size band (£000s) 
			   70-99  100 + 
			 Leeds North West 335 1,235 
			  Note: A small business is defined as an enterprise with less than 50 employment.

Census

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what mechanisms will be used to collate and analyse data on the population of local authority areas after the 2011 Census.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what mechanisms will be used to collate and analyse data on the population of local authority areas after the proposed ending of the Census. (12374)
	The National Statistician, together with the Registrars General in Scotland and Northern Ireland, has set up the Beyond 2011 Project which will consider a range of options for the production of population statistics beyond the 2011 Census. It is too early to predict the outcome of that work but a decision on the way forward will not be made without consultation with a wide range of users, including Local Authorities, on their requirements.

Census: Local Government

Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many local authorities have appointed a census liaison manager in respect of the 2011 Census.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many local authorities have appointed a census liaison manager in respect of the 2011 Census. (11725)
	So far 350 local authorities in England and Wales have appointed a census liaison manager. This figure includes 18 county councils. Some authorities have also appointed assistant census liaison managers.
	We are working in partnership with local authorities in the planning of the 2011 Census and we are in discussion with those authorities yet to appoint liaison managers.

Civil Servants: Bedford

Richard Fuller: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants are employed by each  (a) Government department,  (b) executive agency and  (c) other employer in Bedford constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning, how many civil servants are employed by each (a) Government department, (b) executive agency and (c) other employer in Bedford constituency. (11280)
	In order to provide the information requested for the number of civil servants employed by each department, executive agency and other employer in Bedford, ad hoc analysis has been undertaken. This analysis is based on Civil Service Statistics 2009, the latest data available.
	The requested data for Bedford are attached at Annex A.
	 Annex A:
	
		
			  Civil service employment in Bedford; (a) Departments; (b) Agencies; (c) Other employer( 1,2) 
			   Headcount 
			  31 March 2009  
			  (a) Departments  
			 DWP Corporate Services 10 
			 DWP Shared Services * 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 130 
			 Ministry of Defence * 
			 Ministry of Justice (excl. agencies) * 
			 All employees 150 
			   
			  (b) Executive Agencies  
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory 10 
			 Driving Standards Agency 40 
			 Highways Agency 270 
			 HM Courts Service 70 
			 Jobcentre Plus 140 
			 Meat Hygiene Service * 
			 Met Office 10 
			 National Offender Management Service 280 
			 Pensions Disability and Carers Service 20 
			 Tribunals Service 20 
			 UK Border Agency 100 
			 Valuation Office 40 
			 All employees 980 
			  (c) Other employer  
			 Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service 10 
			 All employees 10 
			 (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, and numbers less than five are represented by "*". (2) This data excludes civil servants seconded to outside the civil service where the Department is paying less than 50% of the individuals salary. Information on civil servants working outside of the civil service (not a Government Department, agency or Crown non-departmental public body) are not collected centrally.  Source: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey

Civil Servants: Denton

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants are employed by  (a) Government departments,  (b) executive agencies and  (c) other Government employers in Denton and Reddish constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics. I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many civil servants are employed by (a) Government departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) other Government employers in Denton and Reddish constituency. (012004)
	Civil Service Statistics are published annually by the Office for National Statistics on the National Statistics website. The latest published statistics are for March 2009:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cs0110.pdf
	However, the numbers of civil servants employed by Government departments, executive agencies and other Government employers by constituency are generally not available. I am afraid, therefore, that figures for Denton and Reddish constituency cannot be provided.

Deaths: Smoking

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people died from smoking-related illnesses in Peterborough constituency in each year since 2001.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died from smoking-related illnesses in Peterborough constituency in each year since 2001. (11394)
	Deaths due to smoking-related illness cannot be directly estimated, as smoking status is not included on the death certificate. However, research published the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care in September 2009 estimated that 83,900 deaths were attributable to smoking in England in 2008(1). These figures are not available at constituency level.
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and cause are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15096
	(1) The Health and Social Care Information Centre (2009) Statistics on Smoking: England, 2009. Available at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/smoking/statistics-on-smoking-england-2009

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has sold one building and no land since May 2005. The building was 49-53 Parliament Street, London SW1 and was sold in March 2010 for £5.37 million. The proceeds were retained by the Cabinet Office.

Departmental Communication

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what instructions have been issued by the private office of each Minister in his Department on the preparation of briefing, speeches and replies to official correspondence.

Francis Maude: Guidance on the handling of official correspondence; preparation of submissions and briefing is available on my Department's intranet. I am placing copies in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many officials in his Department have responsibility for devolution policy.

Francis Maude: My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, has responsibility for devolution policy and is supported in this by a team of three officials who are also responsible for managing the UK's interests in relation to the British-Irish Council. The Cabinet Secretariat, also part of the Cabinet Office, supports inter-administration relationships through the Joint Ministerial Committee process.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in respect of which 100 constituencies whose boundaries did not change between February 2000 and February 2010 the size of the electorate had the greatest reduction.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking in respect of which 100 constituencies whose boundaries did not change between February 2000 and February 2010 the size of the electorate fell by the highest number of electors in that period. (10818)
	There were 70 constituencies that had boundaries that did not change between February 2000 and December 2009. The attached table shows the 20 constituencies out of these 70 where the size of the electorate fell over the same period. This is the latest year for which figures are available.
	The constituencies shown are for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All Westminster parliamentary constituency boundaries in Scotland were revised in 2004.
	
		
			  Number of people registered to vote in parliamentary elections 
			   Total electors 16 February 2000  Total electors 1 December 2009  Difference 
			  England:
			  North East:
			 City of Durham 69,923 67,642 -2,284 
			 Wansbeck 63,329 62,882 -447 
			 
			  North West:
			 Burnley 67,256 66,876 -380 
			 Southport 70,544 67.761 -2,783 
			 West Lancashire 73,739 72,347 -1,392 
			 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber:
			 Scarborough and Whitby 76,572 76.032 -540 
			 
			  East:
			 Castle Point 68,065 67,689 -376 
			 
			  South East:
			 Gravesham 70,098 69,898 -200 
			 Runnymede and Weybridge 73,364 72,455 -909 
			 
			  Wales:
			 Caerphilly 67,390 61,873 -5,517 
			 Delyn 54,236 53,577 -659 
			 Llanelli 58,578 55,841 -2,737 
			 Newport East 55,272 54,140 -1,132 
			 Rhondda 55,934 51,706 -4,228 
			 Wrexham 51,045 50,849 -196 
			 Ynys Mon 52,953 50,200 -2,753 
			 
			  Northern Ireland:
			 North Down 63,884 60,098 -3,786 
			 West Tyrone 61,349 60,735 -614 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics, Boundary Commission for England, General Register Office for Scotland, Boundary Commission for Wales and Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were registered to vote in each ward in each UK parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many people were registered to vote in each ward in each UK parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997. (10819)
	ONS does not have the electoral information that is needed at ward level to provide an answer to this question. UK ward level figures are not collected on a consistent basis and are not currently in a format that can be used to compile the data requested.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the voter registration rate for  (a) black and ethnic minority persons,  (b) young people aged between 17 and 24 years and  (c) persons living in private rented accommodation was in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what the voter registration rates for (a) black ethnic minority persons, (b) young people aged between 17 and 24 years and (c) persons living in private rented accommodation were in each of the last five years. (10948)
	ONS does not hold the information requested, ONS collate and publish data on the number of people registered to vote in local and European government, and parliamentary elections. These data do not include information on the ethnicity, age or tenure of those people registered to vote.

Employment: Manufacturing Industries

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the level of manufacturing employment.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what is the most recent estimate of the level of manufacturing employment. (12931)
	The most recent estimate for the number of workforce jobs in the manufacturing sector is 2.53 million, for March 2010. This figure is seasonally adjusted.

Government Departments: MITIE Group

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what contracts each Government department  (a) holds with Management Incentive Through Investment Equity Group plc and  (b) held with the company in each year since 1990; what the length of each such contract was; and what payments have been made under each such contract.

Francis Maude: Data on MITIE's contracts with Central Government for each year since 1990 are not available centrally. From 1 January 2011, the Government will publish details of all new contracts with its suppliers.

Immigration

James Clappison: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people have migrated to the UK who were not UK citizens or citizens of another EU member state in  (a) each year since 1997 and  (b) each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the number of immigrants who were non-UK or non-EU citizens (a) each year since 1997 and (b) each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available. (10583)
	The annual data that have been provided to answer part (a) are from Long-Term International Migration (LTIM) estimates which are derived from several data sources. The International Passenger Survey (IPS) migrant data provides the foundation of the LTIM estimates with adjustments for asylum seekers, people whose intentions change with regard to their length of stay, and for international migration to and from Northern Ireland.
	ONS publish rolling annual estimates each quarter based solely on the IPS. These estimates have been used to answer part (b).
	These migration estimates cover those entering with the intention of living in the destination country for periods of twelve months or more. They will therefore exclude those entering the UK for less than twelve months.
	These estimates are of numbers of moves each period rather than numbers of people. For instance, an individual could enter in one year, leave just over a year later and then enter again a year after that. They would appear twice in the table for (a).
	
		
			  Long-term international migration, time series, 1997 to 2008, United Kingdom, citizenship 
			  Thousand 
			   Non-European Union 
			  Inflow  
			 1997(1) 166 
			 1998(1) 206 
			 1999(1) 272 
			 2000(1) 316 
			 2001(1) 313 
			 2002(1) 357 
			 2003(1) 344 
			 2004(2) 370 
			 2005(2) 317 
			 2006(2) 343 
			 2007(3) 305 
			 2008(3) 307 
			 (1 )For 1997 to 2003, non-European Union estimates exclude EU15 (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) (2 )For 2004 to 2006, non-European Union estimates exclude EU25 (EU15 and A8 groupings-the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia-plus Malta and Cyprus). (3) From 2007, non-European Union estimates exclude EU27 (EU25 plus Bulgaria and Romania). 
		
	
	
		
			  International Passenger Survey (IPS) estimates of long-term international migration, rolling annual data to Q3 2009, United Kingdom, citizenship 
			  Thousand 
			   Non-European Union( 2) 
			  Year ending  Estimate  Relative standard  error (% ) 
			  Inflow   
			 December 2007 275 4 
			 March 2008 269 4 
			 June 2008 276 4 
			 September 2008 282 4 
			 December 2008 279 4 
			 March 2009(1) 275 4 
			 June 2009(1) 265 4 
			 September 2009(1) 270 3 
			 (1)( )Provisional estimates for 2009. (2)( )Non-European Union estimates exclude Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania.  Standard error Relative standard error (%) = -------------------- x 100 Estimate  Note: Estimates are uncalibrated.

Industrial Disputes

Sajid Javid: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cases of industrial action have been recorded in each year since 1990; how many  (a) workers took part and  (b) working days were lost in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cases of industrial action have been recorded in each year since 1990; how many  (a) workers took part and  (b) working days were lost in each case; and if he will make a statement. (012958)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles monthly labour disputes statistics for the UK. They exclude disputes which do not result in a stoppage of work and stoppages involving fewer than ten workers or lasting less than one day, unless the total number of working days lost in the dispute is 100 or more.
	The table below provides estimates of the number of stoppages, workers involved and working days lost each year in the United Kingdom from 1990 to 2009.
	
		
			  Estimates of number of stoppages, workers involved, working days lost in the United Kingdom, 1990 to 2009 
			   Number of stoppages  Number of workers involved (thousand)  Working days lost (thousand) 
			 1990 630 298 1903 
			 1991 369 176 761 
			 1992 253 148 528 
			 1993 211 385 649 
			 1994 205 107 278 
			 1995 235 174 415 
			 1996 244 364 1303 
			 1997 216 130 235 
			 1998 166 93 282 
			 1999 205 141 242 
			 2000 212 183 499 
			 2001 194 180 525 
			 2002 146 943 1323 
			 2003 133 151 499 
			 2004 130 293 905 
			 2005 116 93 157 
			 2006 158 713 755 
			 2007 142 745 1041 
			 2008 144 511 759 
			 2009 98 209 455

Jobseeker's Allowance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people receiving jobseeker's allowance have been receiving it for over 12 months.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people receiving jobseekers allowance have been receiving it for over 12 months. (11418)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. The data that you have requested is already published and can be accessed via the ONS website at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lmsuk0710.pdf
	within the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin, table 11(1).
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are also available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Leukaemia

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate his Department has made of the survival rate for  (a) adults and  (b) children diagnosed with leukaemia (i) one year, (ii) two years and (iii) five years after remission.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what recent estimate has been made of the survival rate for (a) adults and (b) children diagnosed with leukaemia (i) one year, (ii) two years and (iii) five years after remission. (12652)
	ONS publish one and five-year cancer survival rates for adults (aged 15-99). Survival is calculated from the date of diagnosis. The equivalent information is not available for children.
	The latest figures are for persons diagnosed in 2003-2007 and followed up to 2008. They are shown in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1. One- and five-year age-standardised( 1)  relative cancer survival rates (per cent)( 2,3)  for leukaemia, England 
			  Percentage 
			   One-year survival  Five-year survival 
			 Men 61.8 40.9 
			 Women 60.4 41.8 
			 (1) As cancer survival varies with the age at diagnosis, the relative rates for all ages (15-99) have been age-standardised to control for changes in the age profile of cancer patients over time, thus making them comparable with previously published figures (2) Leukaemia is defined as C91-C95, in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth edition (ICD-IO). (3) Adult patients aged 15-99.

Leukaemia

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) children and  (b) adults (i) in total and (ii) in each primary care trust area have been diagnosed with leukaemia in the UK in each year since 1997; and how many children have died from leukaemia in each of those years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) children and (b) adults (i) in total and (ii) in each primary care trust area have been diagnosed with leukaemia in the UK in each year since 1997; and how many children have died from leukaemia in each of those years.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of leukaemia (incidence) are for the year 2007. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
	The tables provide:
	1) The number of newly diagnosed cases of leukaemia for (a) children aged under 16 years and (b) adults aged 16 years and over (i) in total in the UK for each year from 1997 to 2007 (Table 1) and the number of (a) children aged under 16 years in each (ii) primary care organisation in England for the years 1997 to 2007 combined (Table 2), and (b) adults aged 16 years and over in each (ii) primary care organisation in England for each year from 1997 to 2007 (Table 3).
	2) The number of deaths where leukaemia was the underlying cause for (a) children aged under 16 years in the UK for the years 1997 to 2009 (Table 4), and (ii) each primary care organisation in England for the years 1997 to 2009 combined (Table 5).
	The number of childhood leukaemia cases (Table 2) and deaths (Table 5) in each primary care organisation have not been given for individual years so that potentially identifiable data are not revealed.
	A copy of Tables 2, 3 and 5 have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Lone Parents: Rutherglen

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many lone parents there are in Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency. (11885)
	The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
	The latest available figure is for 2008 and is shown in the table below. This is based on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundary and there have been no boundary changes since 2008 in the area requested.
	
		
			  Geographical area  Number of lone parent families-with at least one child under 16 (thousands) 
			 Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency (2008) 3 
			  Source: APS January to December 2008

Low Incomes: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children in each constituency in the East of England live in households with below 60% of the median net disposable household income before housing costs.

Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply.
	Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in HBAI only allow breakdowns to Government office region and analysis by parliamentary constituency is not possible. However, figures for East of England are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income for the East of England, before housing costs 
			  Period  Number (million)  Percentage 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.2 16 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. Three survey years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication "Households Below Average Income" (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors. 6. Numbers of adults and children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP. 
		
	
	Measures of income poverty at constituency level are available with National Indicator 116. This indicator shows the number and proportion of children living in families in receipt of child tax credit whose reported income is less than 60% of the median income or in receipt of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance.
	Due to methodological differences to the HBAI publication, these small area estimates are not directly comparable with national or regional figures. Nl 116 does not necessarily capture all those, or only those, children living in households below the 60% of median threshold.
	Published data for the East of England constituencies for August 2007 and August 2006 can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/child_poverty.htm
	Income measures do not necessarily capture all aspects of poverty or inequality facing children and their families and the Government are committed to tackling the causes of poverty and not just treating the symptoms. We must tackle the root causes of how people get trapped in poverty, breaking the cycle of disadvantage and dependency culture to stimulate social mobility.
	The right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr Frank Field) has been asked to lead an independent review of poverty and life chances including examining the case for reforms to poverty measures, in particular for the inclusion of non-financial elements. The review will explore whether there are measures that can improve the way poverty is tackled, ensuring we focus on the root causes and the paths into poverty as well as looking at the non-financial side.

NDPBs

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on public bodies to be abolished under the provisions of the proposed Public Bodies (Reform) Bill; and whether he has decided that any particular public bodies should not be abolished as a result of those discussions;
	(2)  what estimate has been made of the proportion of public bodies which will be abolished as a result of implementation of the provisions of the proposed Public Bodies (Reform) Bill if passed;
	(3)  which public bodies within the responsibility of each Department  (a) perform a technical function,  (b) require political impartiality and  (c) act independently to establish facts.

Francis Maude: The Government are committed to reducing the number of public bodies to increase accountability and reduce costs. To this end, I am working with ministerial colleagues to assess the public bodies that fall within their areas of responsibility against three tests: do they perform a technical function; do they require political impartiality; or do they act independently to establish facts.
	This assessment is still underway. We expect to publish the outcome by the autumn, and plan to introduce the Bill in October.

NDPBs

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the reduction in public expenditure which will arise from implementation of the provisions of the proposed Public Bodies (Reform) Bill.

Francis Maude: The primary aim of the planned Public Bodies (Reform) Bill is to increase the accountability of public bodies, but we also expect that abolitions and mergers arising from the Bill will create savings in future years and departments will be incorporating initial savings into their spending review plans. No estimate has yet been made of the level of savings expected.

New Businesses

Richard Fuller: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new businesses have been started in  (a) Bedford constituency,  (b) the East of England and  (c) the UK in each year since 2000.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many new businesses have been started in (a) Bedford constituency, (b) the East of England and (c) the UK in each year since 2000.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and actives arc available for 2002 onwards from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available on enterprise births in Bedford, the East of England and the UK for the years 2002 to 2008.
	
		
			  Enterprise Births 2002-08 for Bedford, East of England and the UK 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 UK 242,540 267,000 280,080 274,855 255,530 280,725 270,215 
			 East of England 24,380 26,140 27,600 26,190 25,055 27,600 26,160 
			 Bedford 340 415 400 410 360 420 405

Personal Income

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average income of  (a) households and  (b) single-parent households was in (i) England, (ii) Yorkshire and (iii) Leeds in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, asking what the average income of (a) households and (b) single-parent households was in (i) England, (ii) Yorkshire and (iii) Leeds in the most recent year for which figures are available. (012247)
	Table 1 shows the estimated average net weekly equivalised household income in England, and Yorkshire and the Humber (both before and after housing costs) for the years 2006/07 to 2008/09 (as a three-year average) at 2008/09 prices, and similar income estimates for Leeds for 2007/08, at 2008/09 prices. These estimates are the latest available. Estimates for single-parent households for Leeds are not available.
	The estimates provided for England, and Yorkshire and the Humber, are based on data from the Households Below Average Income series produced by the Department for Work and Pensions, and small area statistics for Leeds produced by the ONS.
	These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Average net weekly equivalised( 1)  household income( 2)  for all households and single-parent households( 3) , Leeds, Yorkshire and the Humber, and England, 2006-07 to 2008-09( 4, 5) 
			  £ per week 
			   All households  Single-parent households 
			   Median  Mean  Median  Mean 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs  Before housing costs  After housing costs  Before housing costs  After housing costs  Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 England 403 349 504 440 292 211 329 253 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 373 327 444 393 279 222 316 253 
			 Leeds - - 458 397 - - - - 
			 (1 )Data are based on OECD equivalisation factors which account for variation in household size and composition between survey years. (2 )Incomes are presented net of income tax payments, national insurance contributions and council tax. (3 )Single-parent households have been defined as households where there is at least one family consisting of one adult and at least one dependent child. (4 )Estimates for England, and Yorkshire and the Humber are presented as three-year averages in 2008-09 prices. Estimates for Leeds are for 2007-08 in 2008-09 prices. (5 )Housing costs include rent (gross of housing benefit), water charges, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance, ground rent and service charges.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions and Office for National Statistics.

Statistics

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he plans to take to minimise the effects of reductions in departmental expenditure on the integrity of the UK statistical system; and if he will consult  (a) the National Statistician and  (b) the UK Statistics Authority on this matter.

Francis Maude: It is the responsibility of each Department to manage their budgets, in accordance with departmental priorities. The Head of Profession for Statistics is responsible for promoting the importance of official statistics produced within their Department. They also have the support of the National Statistician.

Statistics

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment he has made of the operation of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office is carrying out post legislative scrutiny of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, in accordance with current policy of reviewing primary legislation and I will submit a Memorandum of Understanding to the Public Administration Select Committee in the autumn.

Swine Flu

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the conclusions of the Cabinet Office's report on the 2009 influenza pandemic.

Francis Maude: In March 2010 Dame Deirdre Hine was commissioned by the four UK Health Ministers to chair a review of the 2009 influenza pandemic. On 1 July, the Secretary of State for Health welcomed her report and recommendations and set out that he would take these into consideration, alongside financial constraints, when reviewing future pandemic plans in the National Framework for responding to an influenza pandemic.
	Officials from all key Departments are working together to consider the recommendations and therefore I have had no formal discussions with the Secretary of State for Health on the conclusions of the review.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Francis Maude: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the conception rate in girls under 20 years was in each local authority area in Wales in 2008.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the conception rate in girls under 20 years was in each local authority area in Wales in 2008. (12590)
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	The table below provides the conception rate for women under 20 in each unitary authority in Wales in 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Conception rate( 1)  to women under 20( 2)  in Unitary Authorities( 3)  in Wales 2008 
			  Local authority  Conception rate 
			 Isle of Anglesey 64.0 
			 Gwynedd 55.4 
			 Conwy 65.6 
			 Denbighshire 70.7 
			 Flintshire 60.9 
			 Wrexham 71.6 
			 Powys 46.8 
			 Ceredigion 35.5 
			 Pembrokeshire 66.8 
			 Carmarthenshire 61.0 
			 Swansea 57.9 
			 Neath Port Talbot 73.3 
			 Bridgend 72.8 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 58.3 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 84.0 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 95.1 
			 Caerphilly 74.9 
			 Blaenau Gwent 69.6 
			 Torfaen 72.0 
			 Monmouthshire 45.5 
			 Newport 65.9 
			 Cardiff 56.7 
			 (1) Number of conceptions to women under 20 per 1,000 female population aged 15-19 (2) Under 20 years at estimated date of conception (3) Boundaries as of May 2010 (4) Provisional.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many conceptions in girls under 18 years there were in England and Wales in 2008;
	(2)  how many conceptions in girls under 16 years there were in England and Wales in 2008.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics. I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary questions asking how many conceptions in girls under 18 years there were in England and Wales in 2008 (12591), and how many conceptions in girls under 16 years there were in England and Wales in 2008 (12592).
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	The table below provides the number of conceptions to women under 16 and under 18 in England and Wales in 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Conceptions to women aged under 16( 1)  and under 18( 2)  in England and Wales 2008( 3) 
			   Under 16  Under 18 
			 England and Wales 7,577 41,325 
			 (1) Under 16 years at estimated date of conception. (2) Under 18 years at estimated date of conception-includes under 16s. (3) Provisional figures.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many pregnancies among girls under 20 years old there were in each constituency in England and Wales in 2008.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pregnancies among girls under 20 years old there were in each constituency in England and Wales in 2008. (12593)
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	Information on conceptions is routinely published for local authorities and strategic health authorities. Because of the confidentiality of data on abortions and stillbirths figures on conceptions are not published for small areas. Figures cannot be provided by parliamentary constituency because of the risk of disclosing such information due to small differences with local authority boundaries.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the conception rate in girls under 20 years-old was in England and Wales in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 1998.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated August 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the conception rate in girls under 20 years old was in England and Wales in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 1998. (12594)
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	The table below provides the conception rates to women under 20 in England and Wales in  (b) 1998 and  (a) 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Conception rates( 1)  for women under 20( 2)  in England and Wales in 1998 and 2008( 3) 
			   Conception rate 
			 1998 65.1 
			 2008 60.1 
			 (1) Conception rates are calculated as the number of conceptions to women under 20 per 1,000 female population aged 15-19. (2) Under 20 years of age at estimated date of conception. (3) Figures for 2008 arc provisional.

Unemployment

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what percentage of social tenant households in each local authority area have no individuals in paid employment; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on what percentage of social tenant households in each local authority area have no individuals in paid employment. (11376)
	The information requested is given in the table. The figures are from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets for the period January to December 2007. A copy of the table has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. Due to the specific detail of the request, it is not possible to provide estimates for many of the local authorities because of insufficient sample sizes.

Voluntary Work: Disability

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on policy to encourage people with disabilities to  (a) undertake voluntary activities and  (b) provide other contributions to their local areas.

Nick Hurd: I have not met the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to discuss ways to encourage disabled people to volunteer. However, officials in the Office for Civil Society work closely with the Office of Disability Issues to discuss ways to encourage disabled people to volunteer. In addition the Office for Civil Society currently offers grants to organisations to enable more disabled people to volunteer through the Access to Volunteering programme, which operates in London, the North West and the West Midlands.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

British Constitution

Paul Murphy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will refer to the British-Irish Council and the Joint Ministerial Council the matter of the effect on the devolved Administrations of the Government's proposed constitutional reform.

Mark Harper: The Government discussed the coalition agreement and those elements within it, including constitutional, reform, which were likely to be of most significance to the devolved Administrations at the plenary meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) in June. The Government's constitutional reform agenda was also discussed in July at the inter-governmental senior officials' forum which supports the JMC. We will continue to work collaboratively with the devolved Administrations and the forward work programme for the JMC and JMC (Domestic) will be the subject of discussion by ministers collectively at the first meeting of JMC (Domestic) in the autumn. These matters are not appropriate for discussion at the British-Irish Council, which contains members who are not part of the United Kingdom.

Civil Servants: Redundancy Pay

Angela Eagle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) mean,  (b) median and  (c) mode annual pension payment currently made in the Civil Service Pension scheme.

Francis Maude: As at 31 March 2010 the mean annual pension payment to former civil servants and their dependents was £6,767.44. The median payment was £4,302.01. Rounded to the nearest pound, the mode figure was £1,184.

Constituencies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what timetable has been set for the review of the size of UK parliamentary constituencies.

Mark Harper: The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, introduced on 22 July, requires that the Boundary Commissions must submit reports to the Secretary of State before 1 October 2013, and a further review must be completed every five years from that point on. This will ensure that constituency boundaries remain up to date and fair.

Constituencies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure that unregistered electors are placed on the electoral register before the implementation of his proposals to change the size of parliamentary constituencies.

Mark Harper: As the Deputy Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House on 5 July, calculations for the electoral quota will be derived from the register published on 1 December 2010. The canvass for this register will be carried out under the existing household registration arrangements as is the usual practice.
	The Government are currently considering the options for speeding up the implementation of individual electoral registration in a way that will improve the levels of registration and will announce its approach to this in due course.

Constituencies

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons the provisions of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill do not reflect the contents of the Coalition agreement relating to the number of parliamentary constituencies.

Mark Harper: The Coalition agreement stated that provision would be made 'for the creation of fewer and more equal sized constituencies'. The Bill achieves this by reducing the size of the House of Commons from 650 to 600 members, and by providing that every, constituency is to be within 5% of a United Kingdom electoral quota of registered electors, with some very limited exceptions.

Departmental Communication

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what instructions have been issued by his private office on the preparation of briefing, speeches and replies to correspondence.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 6 September 2010.

Departmental Internet

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost to the public purse of developing the Your Freedom website has been.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 6 July 2010,  Official Report, column 248W.

Elections

Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with members of the Calman Implementation Group on the decision to hold the first fixed-term election in May 2015.

Mark Harper: The Secretary of State for Scotland and the Exchequer Secretary chaired the first meeting of the High Level Implementation Group on the 26 July. This group has been established to draw on external financial expertise and work through the tax compliance issues arising from the Calman finance proposals.
	The Government are consulting a range of stakeholders in relation to their proposal to introduce fixed-term parliaments. The Secretary of State for Scotland has written to the First Minister, leaders of other political parties in Scotland and the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament to indicate that he wants to discuss how best to deal with the combination of polls in May 2015.

Electoral Register

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he expects individual registration of electors to commence in September 2011.

Mark Harper: The Government are currently considering the options for implementation of individual electoral registration in a way that will improve the levels of registration, so people who are entitled to vote are on the register, and will inform the House of their plans in due course.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many electoral registration officers have been fined under section 9a of the Electoral Administration Act 2006;
	(2)  how many electoral registration officers have been convicted of an offence related to failure to take sufficient steps to register electors under section 9A of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

Mark Harper: Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act 1983, as inserted by section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006, places a duty on Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to take certain steps in maintaining the electoral register. Section 63 of the 1983 Act provides that for a wide range of electoral officials (including EROs), breach of official duty is a criminal offence. To date no EROs have been prosecuted or convicted for failure to discharge their section 9A duty.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the use of fixed penalty notices on the number of eligible electors who repeatedly fail to register to vote.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made such an assessment. Options for improving registration rates will be considered as part of the wider programme of implementing individual electoral registration in Great Britain.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect on the number of door-to-door visits for the purpose of electoral registration of the implementation of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

Mark Harper: Section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 inserted section 9A into the Representation of the People Act 1983, imposing new duties on electoral registration officers (EROs) to take all necessary steps to maintain the electoral register. The steps that EROs must take, as set out in that section, include:
	(a) sending more than once to any address the form to be used for the canvass;
	(b) making on one or more occasions house to house inquiries;
	(c) making contact by such other means as the registration officer thinks appropriate with persons who do not have an entry in a register;
	(d) inspecting any records held by any person which he is permitted to inspect under or by virtue of any enactment or rule of law;
	(e) providing training to persons under his direction or control in connection with the carrying out of the duty.
	The Government do not collect information on the steps taken by EROs and have not made such an assessment.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will assess the merits of engaging private sector credit reference companies to assist in the collection of information for the purpose of electoral registration;
	(2)  if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions the merits of taking steps to ensure that all claimants of benefits over the age of 18 years are placed on the electoral register.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering options for implementation of individual electoral registration together with ways to improve registration rates and will announce their approach in due course.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make an assessment of the likely effects on the level of  (a) electoral registration and  (b) accuracy of the electoral register of the Government's proposed reductions in public spending.

Mark Harper: The level of  (a) electoral registration and  (b) the accuracy of the electoral register will be subject to continuing assessment in the context of the Government's move to a system of individual electoral registration in Great Britain. Electoral registration officers (EROs) are under a statutory duty to compile and maintain comprehensive and accurate electoral registers. It is for the local authorities which appoint them to ensure they have sufficient funds and resources to do so. The Electoral Commission sets and monitors performance standards for EROs.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the reasons that levels of electoral registration are not higher than they are.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made such an assessment. However, the Electoral Commission's report: 'The completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain', published in March 2010, found that "the completeness of Great Britain's electoral registers remains broadly similar to the levels achieved in comparative countries." The most recent estimate, based on figures from 2000, is that the electoral register is 91% complete.
	The report also found, however, that "national datasets and local case study research suggest there may be widening local and regional variations in registration levels." In addition, it found that "under-registration is notably higher than average among 17-24 year olds (56% not registered), private sector tenants (49%) and black and minority ethnic (BME) British residents (31%)".
	Further detail on the Commission's findings can be found at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/publications-and-research/policy-and-research?query=&meta_s_phrase=Electoral _register&meta_dyear=&sort=relevancy&daat=on

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what proportion of households in each local authority area responded to the most recent annual electoral registration canvass; and how much each local authority spent per election on voter registration in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  which local authority areas have not undertaken comprehensive doorstep canvassing for non respondents to electoral registration in the last 12 months.

Mark Harper: Under section 9A of the Representation of the People Act 1983, electoral registration officers (EROs) have a duty to take certain steps to maintain the electoral register, including house-to-house inquiries, and therefore it is expected that all local authority electoral registration departments would undertake this exercise.
	The Electoral Commission requests that electoral registration officers supply them with information about the methods they use to canvass properties. This information is supplied on a voluntary basis, and does not therefore give a comprehensive picture.
	The most recent data are published in a spreadsheet titled 'The electoral registration data for 2009' on the Commission's website at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/data-collection
	and includes the following headings:
	Number of households sent an annual canvass form
	Number of households returning a canvass form by personal canvasser
	Number of electors added to the revised register following the 2009 annual canvass as a result of an annual canvass form
	Number of electors on the local government register at 1 September 2009
	Number of electors on the local government register at 1 December 2009.
	The Commission further informs me that it has published full financial data for each local authority in Great Britain, covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years. The information can be found on the Commission's website:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/financial-information
	The Commission is collecting information for the financial year 2009-10, which will be published on its website next year.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of best practice among local authorities in introducing innovative approaches to encouraging voter registration; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made such an assessment. The Electoral Commission is under a statutory duty to provide advice and guidance to electoral registration officers (EROs) on the performance of their duties. In addition, the Commission conducts research into aspects of electoral registration and sets and monitors performance standards for EROs.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the compatibility of software used by local authorities for electoral registration with that used by  (a) the Electoral Commission and  (b) the Ministry of Justice.

Mark Harper: The Government have not carried out such an assessment. The Ministry of Justice does not administrate electoral registration and so does not maintain software for that purpose.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much of the £2.5 million funding set aside by the Ministry of Justice to encourage participation in electoral registration was spent in each year it was available; and how much each local authority eligible for such funding received in each such year.

Mark Harper: £2.5 million was set aside by the Ministry of Justice to support local electoral officers in undertaking their statutory duties under section 69 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 in each of the financial years 2007-08 to 2009-10. Electoral registration officers were invited to apply for grants from the fund. The following amounts were paid in each year:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 934,741.56 
			 2008-09 544,391.70 
			 2009-10 (1)153,894.99 
			 (1) The Government provided pre-approval for a further £399,976 to be spent by local electoral officers. This will be paid upon receipt of relevant claims and invoices. 
		
	
	A breakdown of the amounts which were provided to individual local authorities in each of the aforementioned years will be placed in the Libraries of both houses.
	In addition, a total of £67,354.96 is planned to be spent in 2010-11. This sum relates to the cost of activities which were undertaken by local authority electoral officials to encourage participation at the elections which were held on 6 May. The Participation Fund has now been ended, in the emergency Budget of 22 June 2010. Support for the work of electoral registration officers will be strengthened as part of the move to individual electoral registration which this Government are committed to speeding up.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of local government databases by electoral registration officers in  (a) unitary authorities and  (b) two-tier authorities for the purposes of voter registration.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made such an assessment. Legislation currently provides that EROs may inspect records held by the local authority that appointed them and the registrar of births and deaths. EROs appointed by district or borough councils in two tier local authority areas may therefore not have access to records held by county councils, including data held by social services and education departments. The Government have announced their intention to speed up the implementation of individual electoral registration in Great Britain and any consideration of further legislation relating to registration will be in that context.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will assess the merits of using the vehicle registration database held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to increase levels of voter registration.

Mark Harper: The Government are currently considering piloting the use of various public datasets to assist Electoral Registration Officers in identifying individuals to encourage registration, alongside the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration in Great Britain. We will make an announcement on our approach in due course.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have set up electoral registration working groups.

Mark Harper: This information is not collected.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of electoral registration officers did not meet targets for public awareness of electoral registration in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: The Government do not hold this information, but under section 9A of the Representation of the People Act 1983, each electoral registration officer is under a duty to take all steps that are necessary to maintain their registers.
	The steps that EROs must take, as set out in that section, include:
	(a) sending more than once to any address the form to be used for the canvass;
	(b) making on one or more occasions house to house inquiries;
	(c) making contact by such other means as the registration officer thinks appropriate with persons who do not have an entry in a register;
	(d) inspecting any records held by any person which he is permitted to inspect under or by virtue of any enactment or rule of law;
	(e) providing training to persons under his direction or control in connection with the carrying out of the duty.
	The Electoral Commission published a report on EROs' performance in March 2010: "Report on performance standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain". The report found that just under 96% of EROs in Great Britain met or exceeded the required standard for the "Completeness and accuracy of electoral registration records", compared to 83% of EROs the previous year.
	More information about Electoral Registration Officers' performance against the standards can be found at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the trends in variation in electoral registration at  (a) local and  (b) regional level; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made such an assessment. The Electoral Commission's report: "The completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain", published in March 2010, provides a high level assessment of voter registration at a national level and a more detailed analysis in a number of case study areas.
	On local and regional variations, the Commission found that there were
	"growing local and regional variations in the completeness and accuracy of the registers, with metropolitan and unitary areas outside of Greater London experiencing the greatest levels of decline."
	Further, it found:
	"The highest concentrations of under-registration are most likely to be found in metropolitan areas, smaller towns and cities with large student populations, and coastal areas with significant population turnover and high levels of social deprivation."
	However, although the report provides an initial analysis of the factors which may explain local and regional variations, it identifies the need for further analysis and additional research
	"into the reasons for the apparent decline in registration levels and the growth of local and regional variations".
	Further detail on the Commission's findings can be found at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/publications-and-research/policy-and-research?query=&meta_s_phrase=Electoral _register&meta_dyear=&sort=relevancy&daat=on

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of levels of voter registration in areas which are  (a) densely populated and  (b) not densely populated; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made such an assessment. The Electoral Commission's Report: 'The completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain', published in March 2010, provides a high level assessment of voter registration at a national level and a more detailed analysis in a number of case study areas. In relation to population density, it indicates that, while there is no straightforward relationship between population density and the state of local register,
	"it is predominantly densely populated urban areas with significant concentrations of mobile young people which typically have the highest levels of under-registration".

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many convictions for offences related to fraudulent registration on the electoral register there were in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Harper: This information is not collected centrally. The most recent publication on electoral fraud was the joint report by the Electoral Commission and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), entitled "Analysis of allegations of electoral malpractice at the June 2009 elections", published in January 2010. The report stated that the number of cases of electoral malpractice recorded by police forces in Great Britain was 48 (arising from 107 allegations). 26 out of the 48 cases (52% of the total number) relating to the June 2009 elections were recorded as requiring no further action.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the likely effects of individual voter registration on registration rates among  (a) black and ethnic minority persons,  (b) young people aged between 17 and 24 years and  (c) persons living in private rented accommodation.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering what further steps could be taken to improve registration rates, particularly among people from those groups which have been identified as currently being under-represented, in the context of the implementation of Individual Electoral Registration in Great Britain. We will set out our approach in due course.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what mechanisms are in place to ensure that local authorities undertake comprehensive doorstep canvassing in respect of households which fail to return voter registration information.

Mark Harper: Section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 inserted section 9A into the Representation of the People Act 1983, imposing new duties on electoral registration officers (EROs) to take all necessary steps to maintain the electoral register. The steps that EROs must take, as set out in that section, include:
	(a) sending more than once to any address the form to be used for the canvass;
	(b) making on one or more occasions house to house inquiries;
	(c) making contact by such other means as the registration officer thinks appropriate with persons who do not have an entry in a register;
	(d) inspecting any records held by any person which he is permitted to inspect under or by virtue of any enactment or rule of law;
	(e) providing training to persons under his direction or control in connection with the carrying out of the duty.
	The Electoral Commission has produced comprehensive guidance for EROs, on all aspects of managing electoral registration. The guidance specifically deals with matters in relation to undertaking an annual canvass, the appointment of canvassers and the requirement to make house visits to non-responding households.
	In addition, the Commission sets performance standards against which EROs self assess. The standards cover the extent to which EROs use house-to-house inquiries to ensure that all eligible residents are registered.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to provide for penalties against authorities which fail to provide sufficient funding and resources to enable electoral registration officers to fulfil their statutory responsibilities.

Mark Harper: The Government have no current plans to do so. Electoral registration officers (EROs) are under a statutory duty to compile and maintain comprehensive and accurate electoral registers. It is for the local authorities which appoint them to ensure they have sufficient funds and resources to do so.
	The Government are considering what further steps could be taken to improve electoral registration in the context of the implementation of individual electoral registration in Great Britain. We will set out our approach in due course.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make an assessment of the robustness of the self-assessment procedure for electoral registration officers; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Electoral Commission are responsible for setting and monitoring Performance Standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain.
	The Electoral Commission undertake a verification exercise as part of the self assessment process, in order to ensure the process has been carried out in an accurate and consistent way. The Electoral Commission's March 2010 report on Performance Standards sets out how they verify self-assessments in more detail. A copy of the report can be found at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards
	The Electoral Commission have informed the Government that they will keep the performance standards framework, including the assessment reports, under continual review.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will take steps to increase the accuracy of the reporting by electoral registration officers on the amount spent per elector on voter registration.

Mark Harper: As part of its work in developing performance standards for electoral services, the Electoral Commission launched a financial information survey across Great Britain in September 2007. Electoral registration officers and returning officers were asked to complete the survey and return it by 31 July 2008, and again in July 2009. The Commission published its report "The Cost of Electoral Administration in Great Britain" in June 2010, based on the survey findings and covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years.
	The report notes that there were a range of issues with the reporting process (for example, response rates were not 100%, and some returns were incomplete), and the Government understands that the Electoral Commission is looking to improve the process for future reports. Further details on these issues and the Commission's response to them can be found on the Commission's website at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/financial-information

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals for the further use of fixed penalty notices in cases relating to a failure to register to vote.

Mark Harper: The Government have no plans to bring forward proposals for the further use of fixed penalty notices in cases relating to a failure to register to vote.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure that hon. Members and other elected representatives are informed of registration rates in their constituencies.

Mark Harper: Electoral registration figures are published annually by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are publicly available on their website at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=319
	The process of calculating registration rates (ie the percentage of the entire population who are registered to vote) is not straightforward, as the total number of people who are eligible to vote is not known. However, the Electoral Commission's recent research in this area, "Report on the completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain", published in March 2010, is also publicly available at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/publications-and-research/policy-and-research

Electoral Register

Graham Brady: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many  (a) British citizens,  (b) Commonwealth citizens,  (c) citizens of the Republic of Ireland and  (d) citizens of other EU countries are on the electoral register for each parliamentary constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) British Citizens, (b) Commonwealth citizens, (c) citizens of the Republic of Ireland and (d) citizens of other EU countries arc on the electoral register for each parliamentary constituency (11974).
	ONS docs not hold specific data on the number of British, Commonwealth, Irish citizens or citizens of other EU countries, registered to vote.
	Figures on all eligible citizens registered to vote in parliamentary elections are collected as a single number. Data are not available to distinguish between citizen groups registered to vote in parliamentary elections.

Fixed-term Parliaments

Caroline Flint: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the merits of bringing forward proposals on fixed terms for a Parliament of four years or less.

Mark Harper: Fixed-term parliaments will provide stability, as it will be known from the beginning of the Parliament how long it can be expected to last. The current maximum length of a Parliament is five years. A period of five years provides the right amount of time to allow for strong and stable Government while still ensuring that Parliament and Government remain accountable to the electorate.

Legislation: Devolution

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has set a timetable for the amendment of legislation governing devolution as a consequence of his proposed review of Parliamentary constituency boundaries.

Mark Harper: In Wales and Northern Ireland, at present parliamentary constituencies act as constituencies for the purposes of elections to the devolved Assemblies. The relevant provisions are included in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
	In respect of Wales the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill includes provision at clause 11 to break the link between parliamentary constituencies and Assembly constituencies so that fewer parliamentary constituencies in future would not lead to a reduction in the size of the Assembly.
	In respect of Northern Ireland the Government believe that the size of the Assembly is a matter for the Assembly itself to consider. The Government have no intention of dictating the size of a future Assembly but in the absence of any decision by the Assembly we do not intend to make specific provision in relation to the Northern Ireland Assembly in this Bill. As a result the existing legislative framework would provide for a reduced Assembly by the time of the 2015 election. However, once the Assembly have completed their consideration of this matter the Government will bring forward further legislation to give effect to any changes recommended by the Assembly in advance of the 2015 election.

Ministers

Graham Allen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward legislative proposals to limit the number of Ministers in the House of Commons in proportion to the reduction in the number of hon. Members.

Mark Harper: I refer the hon. Member to the response of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to questions on the statement on Political and Constitutional Reform on 5 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 23-47.

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his timetable is for proceedings on the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill.

Mark Harper: The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill was introduced to the House on Thursday 22 July and second reading is scheduled to take place on Monday 6 September.
	The remainder of the timetable is subject to parliamentary business.

Political Parties: Finance

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward legislative proposals to restrict donations by trade unions to political parties; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, column 681W. We are considering our approach to party funding as part of the Government's overall programme of reforms, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Voting Systems: Referendums

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultation he has undertaken with the Electoral Commission on  (a) the provisions of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill and  (b) the question that is to appear on the ballot papers for the referendum on the alternative vote system.

Mark Harper: My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister and I have had discussions with the Commission on a number of matters.
	Following publication of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill on 22 July 2010, the Electoral Commission has commenced its assessment of the intelligibility of the proposed referendum question, as required under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Voting Systems: Referendums

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of holding the proposed referendum on the alternative vote system.

Mark Harper: As indicated in the written answer provided to the right hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr Straw) and the hon. Members for Bolton North East (Mr Crausby) and for Dunfermline and West Fife, (Thomas Docherty) on 14 July 2010,  Official Report, column 798W, many of the cost elements of running the proposed referendum on the alternative vote system will be similar to those for a general election. The previous Government estimated the cost for conduct elements of the 2010 general election in Great Britain at £82.1 million-30 March 2010,  Official Report, column 1079W. Based on this, and our modelling for the 2009 European and 2010 general elections, it can be estimated that the cost of conduct elements for the proposed referendum will be similar. We have made initial assumptions about the conduct costs of a referendum were it not to be combined with any other polls and on that basis we currently estimate a saving of £17 million on the conduct costs of the referendum through combination.
	Additionally, as indicated in the written answer by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Devon (Mr Streeter) of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, column 144W, the Electoral Commission has estimated that the cost of its own activities in relation to the referendum at £9.3 million.
	Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, designated lead campaign organisations are entitled to send a referendum address post free, similar to the entitlement in place for candidates at general elections. The cost of funding this entitlement does not form part of the costs of the conduct of the poll. The Government are considering how this entitlement will apply at the referendum on the alternative vote.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council England: Mass Media

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England spent on press monitoring services in each year since 1997.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England has supplied the information available in the table for costs related to press monitoring services since 2003. This information is only retained for seven years therefore figures before 2003 are not available.
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2003-04 (1)- 
			 2004-05 (1)- 
			 2005-06 (1)- 
			 2006-07 68,873 
			 2007-08 119,008 
			 2008-09 100,404 
			 2009-10 103,595 
			 (1 )To follow. 
		
	
	Figures for years before 2006-07 are archived following a significant change to Arts Council England's financial management system in 2006. Arts Council England is continuing to collate the remaining archived information and I have asked the chief executive of Arts Council England to write direct to the hon. Member for Burnley (Gordon Birtwistle) with a full response once that process has been completed. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Arts: Industry

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the creative and digital industries play a role in the consultation on his Department's structural reform plan.

Edward Vaizey: The Structural Reform Plan, published on 15 July, invites views on the Department's blueprint for activity over the next two years and we are already working with partners to achieve the specific actions. Further consultation and announcements on wider policies and plans will follow later in the year.
	We have already committed to supporting the creative and digital industries and local media by scrapping local cross media ownership rules and modernising the national media regulatory regime, leading to a new Communications Bill in due course.

BBC

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to make the BBC more accountable to Parliament; what discussions he has had with the BBC on this issue since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The coalition Government are committed to ensuring the National Audit Office has full access to the BBC's accounts by November 2011, in order to improve the BBC's transparency and accountability. I discussed this matter briefly with the chair of the BBC Trust in June.

BBC: Audit

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress he has made on implementing his Department's proposal to give the National Audit Office full access to the BBC's accounts.

Edward Vaizey: I discussed the matter briefly with the Chair of the BBC Trust last month. As announced in my Department's Structural Reform Plan, my officials are now working with the BBC Trust to ensure the commitment is achieved by November 2011, in a way that preserves the BBC's editorial independence.

Broadband

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his Department's responsibilities are for delivery of the UK's broadband infrastructure.

Edward Vaizey: Delivery of the UK's broadband infrastructure is first and foremost for the private sector. From a Government perspective, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport takes overall responsibility for policy and delivery of programmes, with the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries (shared between DCMS and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) also working on this portfolio.
	Officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Broadband Delivery UK, the team charged with delivering universal broadband, report for these purposes to both Ministers.

Broadband

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many officials in his Department have experience of broadband infrastructure projects.

Edward Vaizey: Officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills report to me for these purposes. This includes Broadband Delivery UK, the team charged with delivering universal broadband. This team has been assembled to include people with experience of broadband infrastructure projects, and contains secondees from the private sector.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost of delivering superfast broadband in rural areas; and who will pay for this exercise.

Edward Vaizey: The Government have not made their own estimate, but the Broadband Stakeholder Group published research in 2008, which estimated the total cost of deployment of superfast broadband for the UK. This information is available at
	www.broadbanduk.org
	It concluded that rolling out fibre nationwide would cost between £5.1 billion and £28.8 billion (depending on the technology used).
	Providing this investment is first and foremost for the private sector. Government's role is primarily to provide the right climate and incentives for investment but we have not ruled out financial support through the TV licence fee from 2013.

Camelot Group

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what action his Department has taken to ensure that the National Lottery Commission consults stakeholders and other interested parties regarding the implications for its core National Lottery business and brand as a consequence of Camelot's application to be able to operate other commercial services; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: On 16 July, the National Lottery Commission announced its decision on the proposals from Camelot to offer commercial services through National Lottery terminals.
	The Commission is minded to refuse to grant consent to Camelot's application to undertake these ancillary activities on the basis of the EU/competition law concerns it raises. It is a provisional decision in order to give those who are interested in the Commission's decision a final opportunity to make representations, these should be made by 3 September 2010.
	The Commission conducted a limited consultation on the EU and competition law considerations which may arise from the proposal, as these are issues on which those already offering such services have a direct interest. The Commission considers that it will have sufficient information to exercise its discretion properly, without consulting on the implications for the core National Lottery business and brand.

Camelot Group

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions his Department has had with  (a) the National Lottery Commission and  (b) Camelot regarding Camelot's application to be able to operate certain commercial services in addition to the National Lottery; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: My officials and I have regular meetings with both the National Lottery Commission (NLC) and Camelot about the full range of National Lottery regulation issues, and the possibility of Camelot providing commercial services which are ancillary to the operation of the National Lottery has been discussed in that context.
	On 16 July, the National Lottery Commission announced its decision on the proposals from Camelot to offer commercial services through National Lottery terminals.
	The Commission is minded to refuse to grant consent to Camelot's application to undertake these ancillary activities on the basis of the EU/competition law concerns it raises. It is a provisional decision in order to give those who are interested in the Commission's decision a final opportunity to make representations, these should be made by 3 September 2010.

Camelot: Post Offices

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will direct Post Office Ltd. not to carry out an assessment into the impact of Camelot's proposals to enter the bill payment and mobile top-up market on the income of sub-post offices while Post Office Ltd. is a named partner in the Camelot proposal; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: holding answer 13 July 2010
	The Secretary of State has no power to intervene in this process.
	On 8 April 2010, the Commission published a clarification to Camelot's proposals which explained that
	"there is currently no concluded agreement between the Post Office and Camelot in relation to the provision of commercial services...All discussions with the Post Office have been on an exploratory basis only and there is no certainty that they will progress beyond this stage."
	On 16 July, the National Lottery Commission announced its decision on the proposals from Camelot to offer commercial services through national lottery terminals.
	The Commission is minded to refuse to grant consent to Camelot's application to undertake these ancillary activities on the basis of the EU/competition law concerns it raises. It is a provisional decision in order to give those who are interested in the Commission's decision a final opportunity to make representations, these should be made by 3 September 2010.

Cricket: Community Development

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of people  (a) in total and  (b) in deprived areas who played cricket (i) between 1980 and 1997, (ii) between 1997 and 2001 and (iii) since 2005; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who currently regularly play cricket (A) in total and (B) in deprived areas in each region of the UK;
	(2)  how much was allocated to grassroots cricket in deprived areas  (a) from 2001 to 2005 and  (b) from 2005 to 2009.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England had been measuring adult participation in sport through the Active People Survey since 2005. The total number of adults who played cricket at least once a month in 2005-06 was 380,366 . The last full year data for 2008-09 showed there were 206,600 adults who played cricket once a week for 30 minutes at moderate intensity. The next full year data will be available in December 2010.
	Sport England does not hold data for participation in cricket before 2005 and although it does hold data by social economic group the sample size for cricket is too small to provide a geographical breakdown. More information on the Active People Survey can be found on the Sport England website:
	http://www.sportengland.org/research/active_people_survey.aspx
	From 2005-09 Sport England invested £46,944,318 into Cricket. For the period 2009-13 Sport England will invest £38,003,357 into Cricket. Sport England do not hold data in a format that allows it to identify funding allocated to grassroots cricket in deprived areas.

Departmental Air Travel

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on air travel in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: Air travel is not separately recorded on the DCMS finance system from other spend on UK and overseas travel and subsistence. It would not be possible to disaggregate this information without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The total expenditure on overseas travel and subsistence since 1997 can be seen in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total (£)( 1) 
			 2009-10 171,840 
			 2008-09 286,362 
			 2007-08 298,587 
			 2006-07 410,343 
			 2005-06 375,336 
			 2004-05 357,221 
			 2003-04 337,095 
			 2002-03 243,596 
			 2001-02 167,627 
			 2000-01 275,649 
			 1999-2000 253,171 
			 1998-99 213,801 
			 1997-98 185,374 
			 (1) This total represents all overseas travel, including any accommodation and subsistence claimed. Some foreign travel, to Europe for example, may involve travel by train (such as Eurostar). It does not include any travel in the UK, which may include some air travel.

Departmental Allowances

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on  (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and  (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: The total reimbursement of staff expenses and the 10 largest claims in each year since 2006 are in the table. Prior to this the information is archived after a change in the database used, and could be retrieved only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Total staff expenses 144,181.31 98,089.08 100,034.58 92,757.08 
			 Largest claim (LC) 1 1,242.05 2,269.88 1,292.20 1,534.12 
			 LC2 1,231.50 1,673.65 1,261 1,472.20 
			 LC3 1,196.41 1,201.54 1,226.98 1,189.89 
			 LC4 1,096 1,048.22 1,212.73 1,056.90 
			 LC5 853.86 1,001.19 1,040.15 1,045.46 
			 LC6 821.40 909.37 939.47 .955.68 
			 LC7 813.90 866.62 891.40 876.26 
			 LC8 785.50 809.62 808.40 872.36 
			 LC9 764.40 777 748.19 814.02 
			 LC10 745.97 776.12 725.58 801.32

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

John Penrose: In 2006-07, the Department sold one freehold property in Windsor, and the freehold title to another property to the holder of a long lease of that property. The total proceeds received were £472,000 and were retained by the Department to fund its capital programme.
	In October 2005, following special legislation, the Department completed the sale of a strip of land at Kensington Palace Gardens to an adjacent freeholder for £2.5 million. The proceeds were retained by the Department. An additional Grant-in-Aid of the same value was made to the Royal Household for capital works to the Occupied Royal Palaces.
	In June 2008, the Department sold the freehold site to the North of the British Library at Brill Place, Camden, London NW1 for £85 million to a consortium led by the Medical Research Council. As agreed with HM Treasury, £39.8 million of the sale proceeds was retained by the Department as "non-operating Appropriations-in-Aid" to help fund its capital programme and arms length bodies. The £45.2million balance of the sale proceeds was surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.
	Our Executive Agency, The Royal Parks, has not sold land or buildings since May 2005.
	The Department does not collate information on the buildings and land sold by its arm's length bodies.
	Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the hon. Member for Angus. Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much office space per employee his Department occupied in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: Office space per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee for this Department has been calculated as part of the annual Office of Government Commerce Property Benchmarking exercise since 2007 and can be seen in the table. Information prior to 2007 is not available. Since hot desking was introduced at the end of March 2010 the Department is now operating at approximately 10.5 square metres per FTE.
	
		
			  Financial year  Office space square metre per FTE 
			 2007-08 13.1 
			 2008-09 13.2 
			 2009-10 13.4

Departmental Consultants

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the  (a) average and  (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years.

John Penrose: The average and highest daily rates paid to consultants by this Department since 2006-07 are in the table. Prior to this the information is archived after a change in the database used, and could be retrieved only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Average daily rate  Highest daily rate 
			 2006-07 1,076 2,250 
			 2007-08 1,186 2,588 
			 2008-09 1,362 2,520 
			 2009-10 975 1,300

Departmental Empty Property

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: The Department spend on vacant properties in each year since 2005 is in the following table, information prior to 2005 is not available.
	
		
			  Financial year  Spend on vacant properties (£) 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 281,811 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 283,188

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many chairs his Department has purchased in each year since 1997; how much it spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

John Penrose: The Department holds the following information relating to the purchase of office chairs. It is not possible to separate the cost of individual chairs. Information prior to 2004 is not available.
	
		
			  Chairs 
			   Number  Cost (£) 
			 2004-05 20 9,035 
			 2005-06 60 27,105 
			 2006-07 346 92,742 
			 2007-08 156 34,260 
			 2008-09 0 0 
			 2009-10 0 0

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was.

John Penrose: No IT contracts awarded by the Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned.

Departmental Legal Costs

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agency and non-departmental public bodies spent on legal advice in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: The information in the table outlines departmental expenditure on legal advice since 1997:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Total  Total (excluding parliamentary Counsel) 
			 2009-10 2,844,419 2,536,095 
			 2008-09 2,967,725 2,499,831 
			 2007-08 2,695,232 2,262,809 
			 2006-07 3,001,773 2,540,994 
			 2005-06 2,293,400 2,293,400 
			 2004-05 2,424,461 2,424,461 
			 2003-04 2,679,346 2,679,346 
			 2002-03 1,718,834 1,718,834 
			 2001-02 999,129 999,129 
			 2000-01 760,455 760,455 
			 1999-2000 523,484 523,484 
			 1998-97 485,770 485,770 
			 1997-98 445,073 445,073 
		
	
	Information on the amount spent by the DCMS agency and arm's length bodies is held by them and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Location

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to relocate  (a) civil servants and  (b) Government bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) out of London and (ii) to the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The Department has no plans to relocate civil servants outside London. As part of the cross-Government review of public bodies, the Department announced in its written ministerial statement on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 59-61WS, its intention to make a number of changes to its public bodies. It also noted that further work remains to be done to finalise the details of these proposals. This includes potential options relating to the relocation or co-location of these bodies as appropriate.

Departmental NDPBs

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility on the proposals to be contained in the Public Bodies (Reform) Bill.

John Penrose: The Government are committed to increasing the accountability of public bodies and reducing their number and cost. Following the ministerial statement our Secretary of State made on 26 July, we are currently working with the Minister for the Cabinet Office and other partners across Government to finalise proposals to reform a number of bodies. We expect to make a further announcement by the autumn.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

John Penrose: All expenditure on hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance, based on the principles set out in Managing Public Money.
	Hospitality was provided for three events, each hosted by the Secretary of State. The breakdown of these events is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Month  Event  Cost (£) 
			 May Culture Speech 260 
			 June Media Speech 308 
			 June Tourism Speech 900

Departmental Official Hospitality

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on meals and entertainment in each year since its establishment.

John Penrose: Expenditure on entertainment is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. The amount spent by the Department on meals and entertainment each year since 1997 is outlined in the table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total (£) 
			 2009-10 110,024 
			 2008-09 84,544 
			 2007-08 75,850 
			 2006-07 72,819 
			 2005-06 70,535 
			 2004-05 97,803 
			 2003-04 90,007 
			 2002-03 50,948 
			 2001-02 32,587 
			 2000-01 51,667 
			 1999-2000 33,318 
			 1998-99 24,497 
			 1997-98 15,270

Departmental Pay

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much was paid in remuneration in total to civil servants in his Department in 2009-10.

John Penrose: The DCMS resource accounts 2009-10 discloses the total above in Note 10. The accounts can be found at
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7295.aspx
	and Note 10 is on page 26 of Part 2.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each region of England and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

John Penrose: The pension contributions incurred by this Department and its executive agency, The Royal Parks (TRP), for the last three years are in the following table. The Department's planned expenditure for 2010-11 is £3,730,000, subject to any departmental reviews. TRP 2010-11 planned expenditure on pension contributions is £813,701, based on their current budget and subject to their half year review in October.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  DCMS Pension contributions  TRP Pension  c ontributions 
			 2007-08 3,641,863.75 602,184 
			 2008-09 3,742,195.77 666,254 
			 2009-10 3,742,897.30 687,875 
		
	
	This Department does not collate pension contributions for each arm's length body. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire. Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Public Consultation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to increase the involvement of young members of the public in the making of decisions that affect them by  (a) Ministers in his Department,  (b) officials in his Department and  (c) public bodies which fall within his Department's area of responsibility.

John Penrose: This Department has not dedicated specific resource to targeting input from young people in decisions. However the opportunity is available for everyone to contribute their views by contacting the Department through several channels, including the DCMS Twitter account, as well as more traditional correspondence routes.
	The Department's public bodies are responsible for developing their own decision making processes and engagement strategies. To provide information on what steps each of these bodies are taking to increase the involvement of young people would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Relations

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the monetary value was of  (a) public opinion research and  (b) public relations contracts awarded by his Department in each (i) nation and (ii) region of the UK in each of the last five years.

John Penrose: The value of public opinion research conducted by the Department in the last five financial years can be seen in the table:
	
		
			  Cost of public research by year 
			   £ 
			 2005-06 42,700 
			 2006-07 13,200 
			 2007-08 176,624 
			 2008-09 130,022 
			 2009-10 161,846 
		
	
	The costs of the Department's contracts with public relations consultancies in each of the last five financial years are in the table:
	
		
			   Spend ( £ ) 
			 2005-06 295,148 
			 2006-07 84,600 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2008-09 186,495 
			 2009-10 0 
		
	
	The value of  (a) public opinion research and  (b) public relations contracts is not broken down by nations, UK regions or by London area.

Departmental Rents

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in  (a) total and  (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK and in each of the last five years.

John Penrose: The properties for which the Department pays rent are located in London. The net rental costs paid in the last five years are set out in the table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Net rent (£000) 
			 2005-06 5,204 
			 2006-07 5,984 
			 2007-08 5,862 
			 2008-09 5,236 
			 2009-10 5,213 
		
	
	The Department holds the head leases of a number of buildings. Space that is no longer required for departmental use is let on commercial terms.

Departmental Stationery

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agency and non-departmental public bodies spent on stationery in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: The amount spent by the Department on stationery since 2004 is outlined in the following table. Reliable data prior to 2004 is not available.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total (£) 
			 2009-10 54,229 
			 2008-09 68,380 
			 2007-08 69,210 
			 2006-07 110,560 
			 2005-06 147,130 
			 2004-05 130,300 
		
	
	The figures shown may include costs other than stationery. To disaggregate pure stationery costs could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the amount spent by the DCMS agency and arm's length bodies is held by them and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agency and non-departmental public bodies spent on employee awaydays in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: For the financial year 2008-09, spend on away days was £28,596 and for the financial year 2009-10 spend was £47,382. These figures exclude Board and Executive Committee away days as this information was not separately identified at that time.
	Prior to this period, the Department's accounting system did not record expenditure on away days separately from other staff training and development costs. To identify and summarise these costs for the period requested would incur disproportionate cost.
	Information on the amount spent by the DCMS agency and arm's length bodies is held by them and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Utilities

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agency and non-departmental public bodies spent on (i) electricity, (ii) water, (iii) heating and (iv) telephone services in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: The amount spent by the Department on electricity, water and heating in each year since 2007-08 is shown in the table. Information prior to this is not available.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Electricity  Water  Heating (gas) 
			 2009-10 282,715 11,203 35,469 
			 2008-09 280,934 12,510 38,735 
			 2007-08 271,478 11,178 45,221 
		
	
	The amount spent by the Department on telephone services in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Telephone services (£) 
			 2009-10 429,012 
			 2008-09 409,388 
			 2007-08 491,270 
			 2006-07 329,721 
			 2005-06 526,620 
			 2004-05 464,993 
			 2003-04 455,710 
			 2002-03 414,913 
			 2001-02 427,356 
			 2000-01 592,356 
			 1999-2000 304,500 
			 1998-99 383,766 
			 1997-98 447,765 
		
	
	Information on the amount spent by the DCMS agency and arm's length bodies is held by them and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Digital Broadcasting

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to upgrade relay transmitters across the UK so that all transmitters can receive all channels available on Freeview.

Edward Vaizey: As the independent regulator for the communications industry, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring broadcasters and transmission operators comply with their licence conditions in areas such as transmission coverage and reception, including monitoring the quality and quantity of reception received through relay transmitters.
	I have therefore asked Ofcom's chief executive to consider the question raised by the hon. Member for Ceredigion and to write to him direct.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his most recent estimate is of the extent of coverage for digital radio reception in Wales; and what steps his Department is taking to increase it.

Edward Vaizey: In 2008 the Digital Radio Working Group made an assessment of the coverage of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) across the UK. The coverage figures, which are separated into coverage of the two national multiplexes and indoor and mobile coverage, for Wales are set out in the table:
	
		
			  DAB coverage in Wales (Percentage of population) 
			   BBC national multiplex( 1)  Commercial national multiplex 
			 Mobile DAB 73.6 82.2 
			 Indoor DAB 63.3 73.5 
			 (1) These figures do not reflect the transmitters built in Wales since 2008, which we believe have increased the BBC's coverage to mobile DAB: 79% and indoor DAB: 85%.  Source:  Digital Radio Working Croup Spectrum Report 2008 
		
	
	Ofcom are leading a review of future DAB coverage planning, as part of the Digital Radio Action Plan launched last month, to determine the most technically efficient way of matching DAB coverage levels to FM. Ofcom will report back to the Secretary of State with the conclusions of this process by summer 2011.

Digital Broadcasting: Thanet

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of the digital television broadcast signal in South Thanet constituency following the switch off of the analogue signal.

Edward Vaizey: As the independent regulator for the communications industry, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring broadcasters and transmission operators comply with their licence conditions in areas such as transmission coverage and reception.
	I understand that my hon. Friend has met Ofcom, the BBC and Arqiva, the transmission company to discuss issues of digital coverage in parts of Thanet South and I have therefore asked Ofcom's chief executive to consider the question raised by my hon. Friend and to write to her direct.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Food: Advertising

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to prohibit the advertising on television of foods high in salt, sugar or fat before 9.00 pm.

Edward Vaizey: No.

Football: South Africa

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost was of travel, accommodation and other expenses for Ministers and officials in his Department who attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

John Penrose: holding answer 13 July 2010
	All travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively, and other expenses are claimed in accordance with the principles set out in Managing Public Money.
	The Minister for Sport and Olympics attended the USA match and the Secretary of State and his PS attended the England  v. Algeria match. All travelled economy class.
	The total cost of flights for Ministers and officials to the World Cup in South Africa was £4808.80. Accommodation was provided by the high commissioner and as such no further costs were incurred.

Gambling Commission

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to review the functions of the Gambling Commission; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Gambling Commission in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Penrose: The Department reviews gambling legislation, including the functions of the Gambling Commission, on an ongoing basis. The Gambling Commission has received grant in aid for the year 2010-11 of approximately £486,000. These funds are used solely to fund the Commission's research activity and are being used to fund the delivery of the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010 and the collection of some additional quarterly data on gambling participation and perceptions.

Gambling Commission

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the budget was of the  (a) Gambling Commission and  (b) National Lottery Commission in each of the last three years; and how many staff each of those bodies employed in each of those years.

John Penrose: The Gambling Commission and National Lottery Commission publish their expenditure and staff numbers in their annual reports. These are available at
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/gh-about_us/annual_report_and_accounts.aspx
	and
	http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/publications-and-research/annual-reports

Gambling Commission: Pay

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many members of the  (a) Gambling Commission and  (b) National Lottery Commission receive a salary of more than £100,000 per year.

John Penrose: The Gambling Commission and National Lottery Commission publish the remuneration of its senior managers in their annual reports. These are available at:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/gh-about_us/annual_report_and_accounts.aspx
	and
	http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/publications-and-research/annual-reports

Gaming Machines

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of increasing to £2 the maximum single stake for B3 gaming machines in amusement arcades;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the merits of increasing to 20% the proportion of B3 machines permissible in amusement arcades.

John Penrose: On 23 June 2010, I met representatives of the British Amusement Catering Trades Association (BACTA) to discuss a range of issues affecting the gaming machine industry. This included the case for increasing to £2 the maximum single stake for B3 gaming machines and increasing to 20% the proportion of B3 machines permissible in amusement arcades as a means of helping such businesses remain competitive. I am now considering these matters in the context of the public protection objectives of the Gambling Act 2005 and hope to make an announcement shortly.

Gaming Machines

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many gaming machines of each category there were in  (a) betting shops,  (b) bingo halls,  (c) family entertainment centres,  (d) adult gaming centres and  (e) public houses, clubs and other social venues in each of the last three years.

John Penrose: This information is not held by the Department or the Gambling Commission, although industry estimates as to the total number of gaming machines available to the public in Great Britain are included in the Commission's annual report for 2006-07 and their Industry Statistics for 2007-08 and 2008-09, broken down into machine category. The report and statistics are available at:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/gh-about_us/annual_report_and_accounts.aspx

Gaming Machines: Coastal Areas

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on the potential effects on seaside  (a) businesses and  (b) residents of reinstating the £2 stake for B3 amusement machines.

John Penrose: I met the British Amusement Catering Trades Association (BACTA) on 23 June 2010 where a range of issues affecting the gaming machine industry were raised, which included seaside arcades. The case for increasing B3 gaming machines to a £2 stake was also discussed. I have received no other representations on the potential effects of this proposal on seaside businesses and residents.

Heritage Protection Bill (Draft)

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what provisions of the Draft Heritage Bill 2008 are  (a) being implemented and  (b) are planned to be implemented; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The Government are fully committed to protecting and conserving our heritage assets, and to realising the cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits of the historic environment. I am currently evaluating which elements of the draft Bill have already been implemented through other mechanisms, and which might potentially still be desirable in future. I will make announcements on any conclusions I reach as soon as time permits.

Hotels

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation in each year since it was established.

John Penrose: Hotel accommodation is not separately distinguished on the DCMS finance system from other spend on UK and overseas travel and subsistence. It would not be possible therefore, to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The total expenditure on travel and subsistence in the UK and abroad since 1997 can be seen in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total £ 
			 2009-10 303,265 
			 2008-09 447,542 
			 2007-08 479,413 
			 2006-07 620,462 
			 2005-06 691,111 
			 2004-05 536,824 
			 2003-04 551,217 
			 2002-03 517,118 
			 2001-02 431,216 
			 2000-01 454,820 
			 1999-2000 419,036 
			 1998-99 317,568 
			 1997-98 264,947

Licensing Laws: Entertainers

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if he will  (a) publish the findings of and  (b) respond to the previous administration's consultation on an exemption to the Licensing Act 2003 for small venues with a capacity of 100 hosting live performances;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had on the operation of the Licensing Act 2003 with trade unions representing performers;
	(3)  what plans he has to review the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 affecting venues hosting live music performances; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the merits of reviewing the Licensing Act 2003 with a view to creating a portable licence for travelling performers; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Hunt: The Government are committed to moving quickly to reduce red tape around live music and other forms of live performances, including those by travelling performers. However we want to get this right, so I have been talking to people from the sector and from local government to get their views. I hope to bring forward proposals as soon as possible.
	Responses to the live music consultation were published on 26 June 2010 and can be accessed at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/7150.aspx.

Museums and Galleries: Concessions

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people have been admitted to national museums and galleries without charge since the introduction of free admission by the previous Government.

Edward Vaizey: The number of visits to DCMS sponsored museums and galleries in each year since the introduction of universal free admission in 2000-01 is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Total visits 
			 2000-01 28,898,452 
			 2001-02 30,253,293 
			 2002-03 33,614,558 
			 2003-04 35,045,395 
			 2004-05 36,094,536 
			 2005-06 33,983,069 
			 2006-07 39,059,875 
			 2007-08 40,234,880 
			 2008-09 40,291,579

Museums Libraries and Archives Council

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the responsibilities of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council are; and how he intends such responsibilities to be discharged in the future.

Jeremy Hunt: The Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) Council has a range of responsibilities as the strategic and expert body for the museums, libraries and archives sectors. In particular it is responsible for administering and funding the 'Renaissance in the Regions' programme for regional museums, carries out improvement and best practice work with library authorities and has a non-statutory function to advise Government on library policy. It also has responsibility for the provision of services in relation to cultural objects on behalf of the Secretary of State.
	The key functions of the MLA will be transferred to other existing organisations within the next Government spending period although no arrangements have been finalised. Officials will work with the MLA ahead of its closure to ensure the smooth transfer of key functions.
	The MLA website gives further information about current programmes and activities and more details on the Renaissance programme, library advisory, improvement and best practice work and the provision of services for cultural property:
	http://www.mla.gov.uk/
	Corporate records, including annual reviews, business plans and funding agreements can be found at the following link:
	http://www.mla.gov.uk/about/corporate/management

NDPBs: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 59-60WS, on Departmental arm's- length bodies, what the effect on Wales will be of the proposed changes to the bodies listed; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: As stated in the written statement of 20 July 2010, further work is being done in discussion with the bodies concerned and other interested parties to finalise the details and timings of these proposals. Where bodies are being abolished, we will look to transfer key functions to other existing bodies to support our sectors and preserve the necessary expertise.
	This work is at too early a stage to say what the impact of the changes will be on Wales specifically.
	As to the impact on the Barnett formula, no departmental expenditure limits (DELs) have yet been set for the years after 2010-11. DELs for the four years from 2011-12 will be set in the spending review on 20 October 2010. For 2010-11, the work is at too early a stage to firmly quantify the impact at this point.

News International

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has attended meetings as Secretary of State where representatives of BskyB or News International have been present.

Jeremy Hunt: As Secretary of State, I have held meetings with James Murdoch, chairman and non-executive director of BSkyB, on 28 June and Jeremy Darroch, chief executive director of BSkyB, on 21 July.

Ofcom: Expenditure

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Ofcom has spent on opinion and awareness surveys in each of the last five years.

Edward Vaizey: Ofcom have provided details in the table for their total spend on opinion and awareness surveys in each of the last five years plus the budgeted spend for 2010-11.
	
		
			   Total spend (£ exc. VAT) 
			 2005-06 84,750 
			 2006-07 150,120 
			 2007-08 52,702 
			 2008-09 37,040 
			 2009-10 69,225 
			 2010-11(1) 26,834 
			 (1) 2010-11 budgeted spend 
		
	
	The spending is a fraction of Ofcom's wider consumer research programme that is necessary to support their regulatory work.
	It includes research on surveys to understand the degree to which the general public understands Ofcom's role and responsibilities and the way in which critical stakeholders (regulated companies and other interested parties) believe Ofcom is performing its functions and what Ofcom can do to improve. There is also an occasional survey of MPs which also seeks to assess parliamentarians' views on how well Ofcom is performing its statutory duties as laid out by Parliament and what it can do to improve.

Olympic Games 2012

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to ensure towns outside London which host Olympic teams receive a legacy from the London 2012 Olympic games.

Hugh Robertson: Locations across the UK stand to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the games, including through businesses winning games-related work and increased tourism. Through the hosting of events in non-London venues and the hosting of international teams in pre-games training camps, areas will have the opportunity to showcase themselves on an international stage and attract inward investment.
	Over 1,300 businesses have so far won over £5 billion worth of work directly supplying the ODA; over 600 non-commercial sporting, cultural and educational programmes across the UK have been awarded an Inspire Mark; and over 12000 schools/colleges have registered for Get Set LOCOG's London 2012 Education Programme.

Olympic Games 2012

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what conclusions reached by the International Olympic Committee as a result of its recent visit to London were reported to his Department.

Hugh Robertson: The International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission visited a number of Olympic venues, and questioned teams across the London 2012 programme as the project moved from planning into its operational testing phase. At the end of its visit, the Coordination Commission, through their press release, highlighted the good progress made across the project-in particular the construction of venues and infrastructure, the continued support for the games from all levels of Government, LOCOG's top-class staff and its robust performance in raising the private sector funding required to stage the games.
	In commending the progress to date, the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission emphasised the need to avoid complacency, the need for the organisers to focus on the details of the project in the upcoming testing phase, and to refine the plans over the coming months.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what facilities for the London 2012 Olympics have been completed under the Construction Programme; and which of the major venues are under construction.

Hugh Robertson: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has now entered its final year of the 'Big Build'-the construction of the main venues and infrastructure on the Olympic Park-and remains on track to complete the construction programme by the summer of 2011.
	Two venues have been completed already-Weymouth and Portland, the venue for sailing events, and Eton Dorney, the venue for rowing and canoe events. On the Olympic Park, the Primary Substation and main and deep sewer pumping stations are complete and the new Energy Centre will be operational later this year. More than half of the new bridges and underpasses for the Park are also complete.
	All the major venues in the Park (Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Velodrome, Handball Arena, Basketball Arena, IBC/MBC and Olympic Village) are at advanced stages of construction, with work on Eton Manor-the last permanent venue on the Park-having commenced in June 2010.
	Further information on progress of the ODA construction programme can be found in the publication Big Build: Completion Milestones to 27 July 2011 (published July 2010).

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many  (a) applications for contracts have been received and  (b) contracts have been awarded to firms located in (i) Wales, (ii) each region of England, (iii) Scotland, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) elsewhere by the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Hugh Robertson: holding answer 26 July 2010
	Data from the Olympic Delivery Authority's eTendering system, covering procurements with an estimated value in excess of £25,000, show that a total of 4,142 tenders were received February 2007 to the end of June 2010.
	Of these:
	(i) Wales: 25
	(ii) England total: 2,013
	1. West Midlands: 98
	2. East of England: 164
	3. East Midlands: 74
	4. London: 1,056
	5. North East: 21
	6. North West: 67
	7. South East: 419
	8. South West: 66
	9. Yorkshire and Humberside: 48
	(iii) Scotland: 27
	(iv) Northern Ireland: 11
	(v) Overseas: 53
	The ODA was established in April 2006 and set up its eTendering system in February 2007. Tenders under £25,000 are not tracked through the ODA's central procurement system. To establish where firms are based for tenders before February 2007 or under £25,000 would incur disproportionate costs.
	The ODA now shares eTendering system that it uses with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic games and Paralympic games (LOCOG) and its major contractors. The ODA has advised that it is not possible to provide information that distinguishes applications for contracts to each of these organisations, the data that it has provided therefore includes responses to invitations to tenders raised by those other organisations in addition to the responses to the ODA Information on businesses that have directly supplied the ODA is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA suppliers, where the hon. Gentleman will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	http://www.london2012.com/business
	In addition there are thousands more companies that have applied for and accessed opportunities through the supply chains of the tier one contractors. The ODA estimates that up to 50,000 opportunities will be generated in its supply chains.

Olympic Games 2012: Costs

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of hosting the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The anticipated final cost of the Olympic Delivery Authority Programme is £7.261 billion, as set out in the latest London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Quarterly Report which was published in July 2010. This figure excludes the cost of Park Operations which are currently estimated to be around £147 million. A business case for Park Operations is expected to be considered in the autumn of 2010.

Olympic Games 2012: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many contracts related to the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to businesses and organisations in  (a) St Albans constituency and  (b) Hertfordshire; and what the monetary value of such contracts is.

Hugh Robertson: Information on businesses in the East of England that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where you will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	http://www.london2012.com/business
	The estimated value of the contracts awarded to businesses in Hertfordshire is £646,480,257, of this the value of contracts awarded to businesses in St Albans is £2,502,774. These figures only account for the contracts awarded by the ODAs to its own top tier of contractors (tier one contractors). The figures do not include the values of contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA. The ODA estimates that the total value of supply chain contracts to the regions runs into millions of pounds, but these are not public procurements and so the full value of contracts won across the UK is not captured by the figures provided. The ODA estimates that overall up to 50,000 contracts will be generated throughout its supply chains.

Olympic Games 2012: Housing

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which companies were awarded contracts for the construction of each of the 11 apartment blocks in the Olympic Village; and what the monetary value was of each such contract.

Hugh Robertson: Bovis Lend Lease Ltd is constructing five of the 11 Olympic Village residential blocks. Of the other six blocks, two are being constructed by John Sisk and Sons Ltd, two by Galliford Try Plc, one by Ardmore Construction Ltd and one by P Elliott and Co Ltd. The value of the individual contracts is commercially confidential.

Olympic Games 2012: Northern Region

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many contracts related to the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to businesses and organisations in  (a) North England,  (b) Yorkshire and  (c) Leeds; and what the monetary value of such contracts is.

Hugh Robertson: Information on businesses across the nations and regions that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where the hon. Gentleman will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	www.london2012.com/business
	Here he will also find information on businesses that have won contracts in the supply chains of the ODA's contractors.
	The estimated value of the contracts awarded to businesses in the North West of England is £96,156,682, the figure for businesses in the North East of England is £9,457,409 and in Yorkshire and the Humber it is £65,069,036. Of the Yorkshire and the Humber figure, £18,357,494 worth of contracts has been awarded to businesses in Leeds. These figures represent the committed spend to date, rather than the end contract value, as in many cases this will not yet be known. These figures only account for the contracts awarded by the ODA to its own top tier of contractors (tier one contractors). The figures do not include the values of contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA. The ODA estimates that the total value of supply chain contracts to the regions runs into millions of pounds, but these are not public procurements and so the full value of contracts won across the UK is not captured by the figures provided. The ODA estimates that overall up to 50,000 contracts will be generated throughout its supply chains.

Olympic Games 2012: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many applications for contracts for the London 2010 Olympics have been received from firms located in  (a) Scotland,  (b) the South Lanarkshire council area and  (c) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency; how many contracts have been awarded to such companies; and what the monetary value is of each such contract.

Hugh Robertson: Data from the Olympic Delivery Authority's eTendering system, covering procurements with an estimated value in excess of £25,000, show that a total of 4,142 tenders were received February 2007 to the end of June 2010. 27 tenders were received from businesses registered in Scotland, of these one was from a business registered in South Lanarkshire, in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.
	The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) was established in April 2006 and set up its eTendering system in February 2007. Tenders under £25,000 are not tracked through the ODA's central procurement system. To establish where firms are based for tenders before February 2007 or under £25,000 would incur disproportionate costs.
	The ODA now shares its eTendering system with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic games (LOCOG) and its major contractors. The ODA has advised that it is not possible to provide information that distinguishes applications for contracts between these organisations; the data that it has provided therefore includes responses to invitations to tenders raised by those other organisations in addition to the responses to the ODA.
	The value of contracts awarded by the ODA to businesses in Scotland to date is £22,200,816. Of this £1,798,874 has gone to businesses in South Lanarkshire, in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.
	The ODA is unable to release the value of individual contracts at this time as this is commercially sensitive information. These figures only account for the contracts awarded by the ODA's to its own top tier of contractors (tier one contractors). These values represent the sums that the ODA has spent to date, rather than the end contract value, as the end contract value in many cases will not yet be known. The location of each business is determined by its registered address. The figures do not include the values of contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA.
	Information on businesses that have directly supplied the ODA is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where you will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	http://www.london2012.com/business
	In addition there are thousands more companies that have applied for opportunities in the supply chains of the ODA's tier one contractors. The ODA estimates that up to 50,000 opportunities will be generated in its supply chains.

Olympic Games 2012: Wales

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which companies based in  (a) Wales and  (b) the Vale of Glamorgan have been involved in construction projects for the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: Information on businesses based in  (a) Wales and  (b) the Vale of Glamorgan that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available in the business section of the London 2012 website, under the heading ODA Suppliers, where my hon. Friend will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	www.london2012.com/business
	Here my hon. Friend will also find information on businesses that have won contracts in the supply chains of the ODA's contractors.

Olympic Games 2012: Wales

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which companies based in  (a) Wales and  (b) the Vale of Glamorgan have been contracted to participate in the operation of the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is now procuring £700 million-worth of goods and services required for the games. While much of this procurement will be through letting a small number of large contracts, it will give rise to a large number of supply chain opportunities for companies across the UK.
	LOCOG has advised that no major contracts have yet been awarded in this procurement, but there is significant interest across the nations and regions in those tenders that have been placed on the online web portal CompeteFor. CompeteFor makes these opportunities accessible to companies in all parts of the UK, including Wales.

Olympic Games 2012: West Midlands

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make financial assistance available to volunteers from Shropshire and the West Midlands at the London 2012 Olympics to travel to and from London.

Hugh Robertson: London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) launched its London 2012 'Games Makers' volunteer scheme on 27 July 2010. Accommodation and travel costs for volunteers to reach London will not be covered within the LOCOG scheme, however volunteers will be provided with a zones 1-6 travel card and refreshments when they are on-shift. There are no plans to provide central funding to LOCOG volunteers to cover these costs. However the many venues across the UK will give people the chance to get involved with the games in their own local area.

Public Libraries: Local Government Services

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if he will take steps to encourage the use of public libraries as a focal point for local authority services;
	(2)  if he will take steps to encourage public libraries to assess the merits of providing additional local authority services to the public.

Edward Vaizey: Libraries can and do contribute to a range of local and national Government priorities by helping people find and use printed and digital information to improve skills and increase their knowledge.
	There are real opportunities for councils to respond to the deficit by using libraries and the space they provide to help deliver other public policy more efficiently. In England libraries are already providing drop-in sessions with health professionals or local police officers. In some authorities libraries are selling parking permits or renewing travel passes, providing links to employment opportunities and taking council tax payments. These connections can have positive benefits for communities and can increase efficiencies within authorities.
	I have written to all local authority chief executives recently to stress how important libraries are in the current economic climate and will continue to champion the value and impact libraries can make to overcome the financial deficit with my colleagues and stakeholders across Government.

Regional Development Agencies: North East Region

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to provide assistance to tourism businesses in  (a) the North East,  (b) Tyneside and  (c) Newcastle affected by the closure of regional development agencies.

John Penrose: Government's intention is to rebalance the economy to better enable the private sector. The introduction of local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), in place of regional development agencies (RDAs), will give councils, communities and local business a stronger role in driving enterprise and employment at local level. The recently announced Regional Growth Fund, worth £1 billion, will provide an important resource in this regard. I am working with my colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Department for Communities and Local Government, to ensure that the interests of the tourism industry are addressed in the transition from RDAs to LEPs.

S4C

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to review the structure and strategy of S4C as part of his Department's spending review.

Edward Vaizey: My Department will be reviewing the position of all its grant-funded public bodies as part of the spending review. S4C will naturally be considered in the review.

Shadsworth Leisure Centre

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will hold discussions with Blackburn council to seek to keep Shadsworth Leisure Centre open.

Hugh Robertson: This is a matter for the local authority. There is no provision for the Department to intervene in this case.

Sports: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much he estimates is available in dormant betting accounts to fund sporting facilities, as referred to in the Budget Statement.

John Penrose: It has not yet been possible to make an informed estimate of the sums that may be held in dormant betting accounts as such figures are not generally published by betting operators. The Tote has, however, previously advised that the gross figure for uncollected winnings recorded during the financial year 2008-09 was £1.04 million.
	I have asked the hon. Member for Bath (Mr Foster) to compile a report for me into abandoned betting accounts and other unclaimed winnings. The report will seek to consider how much money may be left abandoned in betting accounts and the value of unclaimed winning tickets. The hon. Member for Bath will be meeting interested parties throughout the autumn to gather views and information. He expects to present his findings, along with a possible proposal of new legislation, to me by the end of the year.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Andrew Griffiths) on 27 July,  Official Report, column 991W.

Television: Licensing

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will hold discussions with the BBC Trust on charges for those paying the licence fee by quarterly direct debit.

Edward Vaizey: I have no plans to do so. Under the terms of its Royal Charter, the BBC Trust is responsible for collecting the licence fee, including arrangements around the collection of payments made by direct debit.

Theatres: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding the  (a) Heritage Fund and  (b) Arts Council England has allocated for the (i) construction of new theatres and (ii) refurbishment of existing theatres in each of the last 10 years.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England (ACE) and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have supplied the information in the table on how much they allocated to constructing new theatres and refurbishing existing theatres in the last 10 years.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  ACE Construction  ACE Refurbishment  HLF Construction  HLF Refurbishment( 1) 
			 2000-01 1,716,106 5,790,823 0 16,616,550 
			 2001-02 4,895,000 12,924,669 0 13,254,200 
			 2002-03 1,180,431 4,209,167 0 25,513,600 
			 2003-04 6,583,725 7,854,317 0 3,237,500 
			 2004-05 68,194,856 13,467,383 0 3,819,700 
			 2005-06 739,667 1,094,000 0 49,900 
			 2006-07 2,480,000 4,309,430 0 2,274,350 
			 2007-08 3,835,089 3,782,920 0 3,933,500 
			 2008-09 0 500,000 0 45,000 
			 2009-10 12,876,104 7,468,581 0 (2)0 
			 (1) Grant allocated for capital works (e.g. building conservation or refurbishment) excluding the cost of activities (such as education, volunteering and community involvement). (2) Change in HLF administrative procedures for 2009-10 for new awards means only development funding recorded.

Tourism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many persons in each  (a) age group and  (b) travelling to each destination holidayed abroad in each of the last two years for which information is available.

John Penrose: VisitBritain have provided a table of data advising the number of UK residents, broken down by age group and destination, who have holidayed abroad in each of the last two years.
	I am arranging for copies of the information to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Tourism: England

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which 10 destinations in England were most frequently visited by  (a) domestic and  (b) overseas tourists in each of the last 10 years.

John Penrose: VisitEngland advise that the 10 destinations in England that were most frequently visited by  (a) domestic tourists between 2006 and 2009 can be found at the EnjoyEngland website links in the table:
	
		
			  Year  Link 
			 2006 http://www.enjoyengland.com/Images/Top%2010%20English%20Towns%202006_tcm21-170595.pdf 
			   
			 2007 http://www.enjoyengland.com/Images/Top%2010%20English%20Towns%202007_tcm21-170553.pdf 
			   
			   
			 2008 http://www.enjoyengland.com/Images/Top%2020%20English%20Towns%202008_tcm21-170512.pdf 
			   
			 2009 http://www.enjoyengland.com/Images/top%20towns%202009_tcm21-190501.pdf 
			  Source: United Kingdom Tourism Survey 
		
	
	Information prior to 2005 is not available in the same format and is therefore not comparable with the latest data in the table.
	The 10 destinations in England that were most frequently visited by  (b) overseas tourists in the last 10 years can be found at the VisitBritain website which lists the top 20 destinations in the UK:
	http://www.visitbritain.org/Images/Top%20Towns%20Historical_tcm139-167988.xls
	 Source
	International Passenger Survey (IPS)/Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Tourism: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which 10 destinations in Essex were most frequently visited by  (a) domestic and  (b) overseas tourists in each of the last 10 years.

John Penrose: VisitEngland advise that the 10 destinations in Essex that were most frequently visited by  (a) domestic tourists, between 2006 and 2009 are Colchester, Tendring, Chelmsford, Southend-on-Sea, Uttlesford, Braintree, Basildon, Thurrock, Epping Forest and Maldon(1). These statistics are based on average number of trips over the four year period 2006-09.
	VisitBritain advise that Colchester, Southend-on-Sea, Harwich and Clacton-on-Sea were most frequently visited by  (b) overseas tourists between 2006-09(2).
	Information prior to 2006 is not available in the same format and is therefore not comparable with the latest set of data.
	Source:
	(1) United Kingdom Tourism Survey
	(2) International Passenger Survey/Office of National Statistics.

Tourism: Greater London

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which 10 destinations in the Metropolitan Police area of London were most frequently visited by  (a) domestic and  (b) overseas tourists in each of the last 10 years.

John Penrose: VisitEngland advise that the 10 destinations in the Metropolitan Police area of London that were most frequented by  (a) domestic tourists between 2006 and 2009 are Westminster, City of London, Kensington and Chelsea, Hounslow, Camden, Croydon, Bromley, Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth, Bexley and Barnet(1). These statistics are based on average number of trips over the four year period 2006-09.
	Information prior to 2006 is not available in the same format and is therefore not comparable with the latest set of data.
	Data relating to  (b) overseas visitors cannot be provided, as the Office for National Statistics record overseas visits to London as a single destination.
	 Source:
	(1 )United Kingdom Tourism Survey

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by his Department for use by trade unions in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: The total staff costs that the Department has paid since 1 April 2006 are set out in the table. These costs are for members of staff who are accredited trade union representatives and entitled to facility time during working hours to carry out employee relations duties and trade union activities. There are no central data available from 1997 to March 2006.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total costs 
			 2009-10 Up to £82,460 
			 2008-09 Up to £79,461 
			 2007-08 Up to £75,514 
			 2006-07 Up to £71,567 
		
	
	The value of facilities provided by the Department for use by trade unions since 1 April 2006 is set out in the following table. These include costs such as accommodation and IT.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total costs 
			 2009-10 Up to £23,182 
			 2008-09 Up to £23,182 
			 2007-08 Up to £22,990 
			 2006-07 Up to £22,760

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: A Partnership Agreement between DCMS and the trade unions came into effect in April 2001. Based on the Facility Time Allocations set in the Partnership Agreement, accredited representatives spent up to 3,900 hours per annum on trade union-related activities since 2001. There are no central data from 1997 to March 2001.
	We do not hold central records on the hours and days spent by civil servants e.g. line managers and HR on trade union related activities.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: To maintain good and effective employee relations, DCMS ensures that accredited representatives have sufficient time to undertake their representative duties effectively.
	A partnership agreement between DCMS and the trade unions came into effect in April 2001. Based on the facility time allocations set out in the partnership agreement, the average number of days staff spent annually since 2001 to date on trade union activities in each year is set out in the table:
	
		
			  Average number of days  Number of civil servants 
			 5 days or fewer 0 
			 5 to 10 days 0 
			 10 to 15 days 7 
			 15 to 20 days 0 
			 20 to 25 days 5 
			 25 days or more 2 
		
	
	There are no central data from 1997 to March 2001.

UK Film Council

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the responsibilities of the UK Film Council are; and how he intends such responsibilities to be discharged in the future.

Jeremy Hunt: The UK Film Council works alongside various partners to support the British film industry, including funding, training and promoting the UK as an international filming location and raising the profile of British films abroad.
	The key mechanisms which support the UK film industry will be retained, including the system of film tax relief and lottery funding. We are considering options for some functions to be transferred to other existing bodies, with a view to reducing administrative costs.

UK Film Council: Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which projects in Scotland the UK Film Council has supported in each of the last five years.

Edward Vaizey: A table providing the information requested will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on wine in each year since 1997.

John Penrose: Spend on wine is not reported separately in this Department's accounting system and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

EDUCATION

Academies

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the governing bodies of new academy schools will inherit sole responsibility for private finance initiative or local education partnership contracts previously held by the relevant local authority.

Nick Gibb: Although arrangements for each PFI school converting to academy status are specific to that school, the normal arrangement would be that the local authority's contract with the PFI contractor remains in place. The obligations of the academy trust and the local authority necessary for continued fulfilment of the contract would be contained in a new schools agreement made between the academy trust and the local authority. There would also be a principal agreement made between the local authority, the Secretary of State and the academy trust which contained indemnification for the authority in relation to various obligations of the academy trust.

Academies

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanism he plans to put in place for intervention in case of failure of an academy school.

Nick Gibb: We already have a range of mechanisms in place for intervention in the case of the failure of an academy. These are outlined in each academy's funding agreement and articles of association and include powers to enable the Secretary of State to appoint additional members to the governing body and ultimately to terminate the funding agreement if required. A draft model funding agreement is available on the Department's website at:
	www.education.gov.uk/academies/supporting-documents
	The Young People's Learning Agency is responsible for monitoring the performance of academies on behalf of the Secretary of State. Academies are also subject to the same Ofsted regime as maintained schools.

Academies

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education over what period schools may apply to become academy schools.

Nick Gibb: A school may register interest for academy status at any time but must submit an application to convert, to the Department, at least three months before the proposed opening date.
	Primary and secondary schools that have been rated outstanding overall in their most recent Ofsted inspection are able to apply to convert to academies. The application process for other schools will open at a later date.

Academies

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department issues on whether members of staff of a maintained school may vote on a resolution on application for academy status proposed by the governing body.

Nick Gibb: As part of the application to convert, the school's governing body will need to pass a resolution signalling its intention to convert to an academy. The school's governing body will include representation from school staff as well as parents and the local authority. The majority of the governing body will need to be in favour of converting to an academy.

Academies: Equality

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what advice he has received on the compliance of the proposed Academies Bill with the provisions of the Equalities Act 2010.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 19 July 2010
	All the provisions of the Academies Bill comply with the Equality Act 2010.
	Academies will be subject to all the private duties set out in the Equality Act, such as those applicable to schools, employers and service providers, when the Act comes into force in October 2010. This means that an academy may not discriminate against, victimise or harass any pupil or prospective pupil, employee or recipient of services, on the grounds of disability, gender reassignment, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation. (Employees and recipients of services are additionally protected in relation to the characteristics of age and marriage/civil partnership.)
	Furthermore, it is, and always has been, the intention to add academies to the list of bodies in Schedule 19 of the Equality Act. Including academies on the list of public authorities in Schedule 19 means that academies will also be subject to the public sector duties set out in Part 11 of the Equality Act, when they come into force in April 2011.

Academies: Faith Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to ensure the provision of a balanced curriculum for pupils in academy faith schools.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 22 July 2010
	 All academies, including faith academies, are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum satisfying the requirements of section 78 of the Education Act 2002 via their funding agreement. The academy trust must ensure that this includes English, mathematics and science.
	The provision of a balanced curriculum is set out in the funding agreement. The Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) is responsible for ensuring that open academies comply with their funding agreements. A model funding agreement for outstanding schools converting to academies is available to view at:
	www.education.gov.uk/academies

Academies: Faith Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education by what mechanism he will ensure that the selection and appointment of teachers in academy faith schools is compatible with the provisions of the Equalities Act 2010.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 22 July 2010
	 All new academies, as with existing academies, will be governed by the employment provisions contained in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA). The SSFA permits faith schools, including faith academies, to discriminate on religious grounds in relation to certain staff and its provisions are preserved under the Equality Act 2010. Faith academies, in line with voluntary aided schools, may apply religious criteria to the appointment of teaching staff but not to non-teaching staff unless there is a genuine occupational requirement for them to be of a particular faith.

Academies: Finance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education by what mechanism he will determine the level of additional funding that new academy schools will receive.

Nick Gibb: The additional funding received by new academy schools is intended to ensure that they are no better or worse off than they were as maintained schools, having regard to their additional responsibilities. It will consist of a grant to meet VAT costs, and a grant in lieu of certain local authority (LA) services. The VAT grant is calculated by using historical data on schools' expenditure to derive a typical proportion of spend that attracts VAT. The grant in lieu of LA services is calculated by dividing LA spend on those services by the relevant number of pupils in the local authority to derive a per-pupil sum. New academy schools will also receive funding for insurance and rates at actual cost.
	In addition, new academy schools will also receive a grant of £25,000 to help meet the costs of conversion.

Academies: Property

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that an academy school governing body cannot sell off land, buildings or playing fields without the permission of the relevant local education authority or church representative.

Nick Gibb: Publicly funded land that is transferred to an academy by way of a lease from the local authority to the academy trust will be protected by provisions in the lease which will prevent the land from being sold or otherwise disposed of. If a freehold interest in publicly funded land is transferred to an academy, then protection against disposal would be secured via the Funding Agreement and by a restriction entered on the title.
	Arrangements for land that is privately owned, for example church owned land that is used by an academy, is a matter for the parties involved and any protection in relation to selling off that land will be a matter for the parties.

Academies: School Meals

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the application of national nutritional standards for school food to academy schools.

Nick Gibb: The freedom and autonomy enjoyed by academies is crucial to enabling them to drive up standards. We believe that academies should have the freedom to respond to parental demand and provide a high standard of food that meets the needs of their pupils.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the cost to the public purse has been of the local education partnership in each local education authority area since the Building Schools for the Future programme began.

Nick Gibb: Data on the set up costs for each Local Education Partnership (LEP) are held by individual local authorities who record costs differently. The National Audit Office (NAO) report on Building Schools for the Future (BSF) published in February 2009 concluded that the set up costs for the first LEPs were higher than they needed to be because of unavoidable delay by local authorities, extensive reliance on consultants by local authorities, large numbers of sample schemes and unnecessary alterations made to standardised documents.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure that his Department's Capital Review Team will 
	(1)  take into account the growing population in Ealing Central and Acton constituency when making decisions on school building;
	(2)  give priority to areas where there is a shortage of school places when allocating resources; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 14 July 2010
	The capital review team will produce interim advice in the autumn. This will guide future spending decisions over the next spending review period (2011-12 to 2014-15). Meeting demographic pressures will be a key concern for the Department in spending review negotiations.
	The capital review team will look at how best to meet parental demand; make current design and procurement cost-effective and efficient; and overhaul how capital is allocated and targeted for areas where there is a shortage of school places and a growing population.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what advice his Department received on potential compensation claims from  (a) private companies and  (b) local authorities over the cancellation of (i) Building Schools for the Future projects and (ii) other capital projects.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 22 July 2010
	The Secretary of State took into account advice and information from a range of sources in coming to his decision on the Building Schools for the Future programme. As was the case with the previous Government, information relating to internal discussion and advice is not normally disclosed.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  whom he contacted at Wigan metropolitan borough council to discuss the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme in that area;
	(2)  on what date he contacted Wigan metropolitan borough council to discuss the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme in that area.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 26 July 2010
	The Secretary of State wrote to the chief executive of Wigan borough council on 5 July. In his letter he set out the review of the Building Schools for the Future programme and the future of capital spending in schools more broadly.
	The chief executive of Partnerships for Schools also wrote to the Director of Children's Services of Wigan borough council on 14 July to confirm the position for Wigan's Building Schools for the Future programme.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Construction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects on the construction industry of the ending of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 13 July 2010
	The Secretary of State considered wide-ranging advice from officials on the impact of his decision on the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, including discussions of the impact on the construction industry.
	The cancellation of BSF does not represent the end of capital investment in schools, nor opportunities for the construction industry. The review announced by the Department on 5 July 2010 will make recommendations to help shape the design of future capital investment in schools; to ensure that future capital investment represents good value for money and strongly supports the Government's ambitions to reduce the deficit, raise standards and tackle disadvantage.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Lancashire

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will compensate Lancashire county council for its expenditure incurred in relation to those elements of the Building Schools for the Future programme in Lancashire which will not now proceed.

Nick Gibb: There are no plans to compensate local authorities for expenditure incurred in relation to these elements of the Building Schools for the Future programme which will now not proceed.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: North London

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on the costs incurred by private sector contractors to Building Schools for the Future projects in the London borough of  (a) Camden and  (b) Brent to date.

Nick Gibb: Costs incurred by private sector contractors in the London boroughs of Camden and Brent for Building Schools for the Future are not held centrally.

Children: Day Care

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of his Department's plans for free childcare provision, announced on 6 July 2010; by what mechanisms that provision will be made; for children of what age range that provision will be made; and what eligibility criteria applied to  (a) married couples,  (b) couples in civil partnerships,  (c) single parents,  (d) adoptive parents and  (e) foster parents applying for assistance under that provision.

Sarah Teather: The coalition agreement is clear in its support for free nursery provision and that we want it to reach the most vulnerable families. We announced on 7 June that we will be extending free nursery education to 15 hours a week from September 2010. Funding of £340 million in this financial year has been made available to local authorities to implement the extension. As with all Government spending, decisions about future years will be taken as part of the spending review process.
	The mechanism for delivery of the free entitlement is through a diverse range of providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors, funded by the local authority. It is a universal entitlement for every three and four-year-old, from the term after their third birthday, until they reach compulsory school age (the term after their fifth birthday). All children in this age group are eligible, regardless of family circumstances.

Class Sizes

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on class sizes and the Comprehensive Spending Review from  (a) teaching associations,  (b) teaching unions and  (c) other representative organisations.

Tim Loughton: No recent representations have been received on class sizes in the context of the spending review from  (a) teaching associations,  (b) teaching unions and  (c) other representative organisations.

Curriculum

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to enable all schools to have discretion on whether to follow the national curriculum.

Nick Gibb: All maintained schools are currently required to follow the national curriculum and we have no plans to change that requirement. Subject to the passing of the Academies Bill, academies will offer a broad and balanced curriculum. Through their Funding Agreements, they will also be required to teach English, mathematics and science. They will not, however, be required to follow the national curriculum.

Departmental Billing

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of payments made by his Department to  (a) small and medium-sized enterprise suppliers and  (b) all suppliers were made (i) within 10 days of receipt of invoice and (ii) on the agreed payment terms in the last three months for which information is available.

Tim Loughton: The percentage of all invoices paid by the Department for Education within 10 and 30 days of receipt are shown in the following table.
	Please note that our accounts payable shared service provider (the Department for Work and Pensions) does not identify small and medium-sized enterprise suppliers separately so the data represent payments to all suppliers.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   April  May  June 
			 Fewer than 10 days 94.61 94.18 94.21 
			 Fewer than 30 day 99.20 98.39 98.82 
		
	
	DCSF changed its arrangements for invoice processing on 2 November 2009. From that date all invoices payments to DFE suppliers are processed by the Department for Work and Pensions as part of their shared services provision.

Departmental Buildings

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of his Department's site at Mowden Hall in Darlington; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education is currently reviewing all aspects of its administrative expenditure including the money spent on its estate. This work is being done in the context of the new policy priorities of the Government and the need to reduce administrative costs overall as part of the spending review process.
	A decision is pending on whether the Department should continue its planned redevelopment of a new smaller site in Darlington town centre or remain at Mowden Hall.

Departmental Buildings

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which functions are conducted by his Department at its Mowden Hall site in Darlington.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education conducts the following functions at its Mowden Hall site at Darlington:
	
		
			  Directorate  Function 
			 Schools Directorate School Formation and Investment 
			  Local Improvement and Performance 
			  School Standards Group 
			  School Resources 
			   
			 Children and Families Directorate Early Years, Extended Schools and Special Needs Group 
			  Families Group 
			  Safeguarding Group 
			   
			 Young People Directorate Workforce Group 
			   
			 Internal Audit Internal Audit 
			   
			 Corporate Services Chief Information Officer Group 
			  Commercial Group 
			  Communications Group 
			  Human Resources 
			  Strategic Analysis, Research and Policy Impact Group

Departmental Civil Servants

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many employees of his Department and its predecessors attended Civil Service Live in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010; and what estimate he has made of the (i) employee working hours taken up by and (ii) cost to his Department and its predecessors of such attendance in each such year.

Tim Loughton: Civil Service Live events are owned and managed by the private company Dods (the publishers of Civil Service World), who bear all of the financial risks.
	The overall delegate numbers for Civil Service Live in 2008, 2009 and 2010 were approximately 6,000, 8,000 and 7,700 respectively. Delegate registration is managed centrally by Dods. Departments do not keep a detailed record of every member of staff that attends.
	Civil servants do not pay to attend Civil Service Live events. There will have been some travel and subsistence costs for delegates, which will be paid for by individual Departments. Civil servants attending the event will have followed the travel and subsistence guidelines set by their Departments.

Departmental Contracts

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what processes are in place for competitive tendering of contracts to be let by his Department.

Tim Loughton: The Department complies with the UK Public Procurement Regulation 2006 and officials involved in the procurement process are obliged to comply with departmental procurement guidance which is based on the guidance produced by the Office of Government Commerce. This requires that all contracts are competitively tendered unless a legitimate exemption for single tendering applies. All single tenders have to be authorised by a deputy director or higher grade.

Departmental Official Cars

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on the Government Car Service since the Government took office.

Tim Loughton: The total invoiced expenditure on the Government Car Service for the Department for Education is £68,318. This compares with a cost of £92.927.97 for the same period in 2009. Both figures relate to costs incurred from 12 May to 12 July for all car services for officials and Ministers.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which categories of  (a) contracts for the provision of services to his Department and  (b) grants to charities made by his Department require ministerial approval.

Tim Loughton: Ministers set the policy direction of the Department which will ultimately result in spend but there is no requirement for them to approve specific categories of expenditure.

Departmental Reorganisation

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much it cost to rename the Department for Children, Schools and Families as the Department for Education.

Tim Loughton: The cost of renaming the Department was £5,250.

Education: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the change in the level of value added tax schools and colleges in Colchester constituency will be required to pay in financial year  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: The Department has not yet assessed the implications of the recent Budget changes around VAT. It will form part of our considerations for the spending review which is now in hand.

Education: Finance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will direct his Department's review of capital spending in schools and colleges to  (a) examine the capital funding requirements of sixth form colleges and  (b) make recommendations for their future funding.

Nick Gibb: The Department's review of capital spending to be conducted by Sebastian James, group operations director of DSG International plc, will review all Department for Education capital investment programmes. The review will guide future spending decisions over the next spending review period (2011-12 to 2014-15) and will look at how best to meet demand, and make current design and procurement cost effective and efficient. The review team will consult the sixth form college sector to inform its conclusions and recommendations.

Educational Psychology: Manpower

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his most recent estimate is of the number of  (a) qualified educational psychologists and  (b) educational psychologists required in the education system.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 19 July 2010
	A report commissioned by the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) in 2009 showed that there are approximately 2,200 educational psychologists employed in local authorities in England. A work force planning exercise by CWDC in 2009 showed that approximately 120 new entrants to the profession are required annually to maintain a similar sized work force and meet current local authority demand.

Faith Schools

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the proposed requirement on new faith schools to admit at least 50 per cent. of their intake without reference to faith will be on a statutory basis.

Nick Gibb: Children of any or no faith should all have access to high quality local education. New faith academies, that do not replace an existing faith predecessor school, will be required to admit at least half of their intake without reference to faith, and this policy will be given effect through each new academy's Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State, rather than through legislation.
	he same requirement does not apply to any new maintained faith schools that are established. Establishment of local authority maintained schools usually follows proposals that are locally approved, following assessment of local need, including the demand for faith provision.

Foster Care

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps are taken to ensure that children removed from foster care are  (a) enabled to say goodbye to their former foster parents and  (b) given an explanation for their removal.

Tim Loughton: Statutory guidance makes clear the importance, whenever possible, of achieving a planned ending to a placement, with foster carers involved in preparing the child so as to ensure as gentle and sensitive a transition as possible. This includes giving the child proper time to say goodbye to his or her carer.
	Children's wishes and feelings should be taken into account when decisions are made about them, including a decision to move them to a new placement, and they should be given the information they need to understand such decisions. This principle is made clear in current regulations, guidance and national minimum standards, and is being strengthened in planned revisions to national minimum standards.
	A child's care plan must be reviewed whenever a significant change is proposed, such as an unexpected placement change. It is for the child's Independent Reviewing Officer to ensure that they are able to make a meaningful contribution to the review.

Free Schools

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which units in his Department are responsible for liaison with the New Schools Network.

Nick Gibb: The strategic relationship with the New Schools Network is held by the Local Improvement and Performance Group within the Department's Schools Directorate.

Free Schools

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department offers to parents wishing to set up a new school.

Nick Gibb: The guidance provided by the Department for Education to parents and organisations wishing to set up a free school is available at:
	www.education.gov.uk/freeschools
	The Department will work with those involved in setting up the first free schools to develop its guidance overtime. The New Schools Network also provides advice and support to parents and organisations who wish to set up a free school.

General Teaching Council

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the  (a) cost and  (b) savings to the Exchequer arising from the abolition of the General Teaching Council for England in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

Nick Gibb: h olding answer 7 June 2010
	There are a number of factors which may have an impact in terms of potential cost and savings arising from the abolition of the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) over the period 2010-2013, including factors relating to the extent of any transfer of the GTCE's existing functions and GTCE staff to other bodies. The current cost of the GTCE to the exchequer is estimated to be around £16 million per year. Our aim is to introduce new arrangements for the regulation of the profession which are more cost-effective and efficient than the current system.

Higher Education: Admissions

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to continue to strengthen entry requirements for university entrance for students taking social work degrees from September 2012.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 26 July 2010
	 On 2 June 2010, the Secretary of State for Education confirmed the Government's intention to take forward and build upon the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force. Among its recommendations, the task force concluded that the entry requirements for the social work degree should be strengthened.
	The Social Work Reform Board is taking forward the task force's recommendations and is considering a number of approaches to improving the calibre of people embarking on the social work degree. It will put advice to Ministers on how best to strengthen the entry requirements for social work students in due course.

National Citizens Service: Morecambe

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects the National Citizens Service project to be rolled out to young people in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency; and how many places he expects the project to provide in that constituency.

Tim Loughton: Specific locations for the pilot phase of the National Citizen Service (NCS) will be subject to the outcome of a competitive tendering process. Government-backed pilots for the scheme will start next summer and will provide around 10,000 places.
	We began a competitive tendering exercise for organisations to deliver these pilots in early August, inviting potential providers to submit bids. Organisations are developing bids from then, and we will announce the successful candidates around the end of October. The second phase of the pilots will run in the summer of 2012, with national roll-out planned from the summer of 2013. (The scale of the programme will be subject to the spending review which concludes in autumn 2010).

New Schools Network

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  for what period the New Schools Network has been contracted to administer initial inquiries into free schools; and when this contract was awarded to the New Schools Network;
	(2)  how much funding his Department has allocated to the New Schools Network; and what period that funding covers;
	(3)  for what reasons a contract has been made with an outside organisation to administer initial inquiries about free schools;
	(4)  what meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials of his Department have had with representatives of the New Schools Network since his appointment;
	(5)  what tendering process was undertaken in awarding the contract to administer initial inquiries on setting up free schools; and what organisations submitted tenders;
	(6)  what processes are in place to ensure value for money from the work being undertaken on behalf of the Department by New Schools Network; and what oversight his Department will have over this work;
	(7)  what information his Department holds on the capacity of the New Schools Network to process initial inquiries about free schools.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department had with representatives of the New Schools Network since 12 May 2010.

Nick Gibb: The New Schools Network (NSN) is in receipt of a £500,000 grant from the Department, details of which are available here:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/freeschools/~/media/Files/lacuna/freeschools/nsnletter.ash
	The Department has given out similar grants in the past, such as to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the Youth Sport Trust.
	Officials meet with the NSN on a regular basis to review proposals they have received and to discuss NSN's capacity and sufficiency of resource. Ministers met with NSN representatives on 21 May, 17 June and 30 June 2010.

New Schools Network

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  whether his Department's payment to the New Schools Network was a  (a) grant or  (b) payment for provision of services;
	(2)  what service level agreement is in place between his Department and the New Schools Network;
	(3)  whether his Department's payment to the New Schools Network was subject to the Compact Commissioning Guidance;
	(4)  what steps he took to ensure that his Department's payment to the New Schools Network complied with the Public Contract Regulations 2006.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 27 July 2010
	On 18 June 2010 the Department agreed to enter into a £500,000 grant agreement with New Schools Network (NSN) to provide support for groups wanting to find out more about setting-up a free school. However the Department has not yet entered into a formal funding agreement with, or made any payments to, the NSN. Officials are currently developing the grant details which will take account of the relevant regulations and agreements.

Ofsted: Care Homes

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children's homes have been classified by Ofsted as  (a) outstanding,  (b) good,  (c) satisfactory and  (d) inadequate in each local authority area in each year since 2007.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 July 2010
	This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Libraries.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to consult  (a) the Church of England,  (b) the Roman Catholic Church,  (c) representatives of other Christian denominations and  (d) representatives of other faith groups for the purpose of his Department's review of the (i) religious education and (ii) sex and relationships education elements of the curriculum.

Nick Gibb: We will consult with a range of groups, including representatives of faith groups as we develop our policies on religious education and sex and relationships education.

Pre-school Education

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the suspension of the code of practice on the provision of free nursery education places; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: The coalition agreement is clear in its support for free nursery provision and that we want it to reach the most vulnerable families. We announced on 7 June that we will be extending free nursery education to 15 hours a week from September 2010. As with all Government spending, decisions about future years will be taken as part of the spending review process.
	The revised code of practice-which is statutory guidance on provision of free nursery education-is due to come into force in September. I am considering whether it would be helpful to review this guidance. However, current primary legislation requires local authorities to secure early years provision free of charge, whether or not there is statutory guidance in place.

Qualifications: Doncaster

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of pupils at Trinity Academy in Doncaster achieved  (a) five or more A* to C grades,  (b) five or more A* to C grades including English and mathematics,  (c) two or more A* to C grades in science subjects, and  (d) an A* to C grade in a modern foreign language at the end of key stage 4 in each year since 2006.

Nick Gibb: The figures requested are published as part of the Achievement and Attainment Tables and are available from the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/
	Excel spreadsheet copies of these publication files have been placed in the House Library.
	 Note
	The requested science indicator was introduced into these tables in 2007 and the modern foreign language indicator was introduced in 2008.

Schools: Ealing

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate has been made of the number of school places which will be required in the London borough of Ealing in  (a) 2015 and  (b) 2020.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education does not estimate the number of school places which will be required in local authority areas. It is the duty of each local authority to provide a pupil place for each child of statutory school age who wants one, and to plan to provide these places.
	This Department supports provision of new pupil places where needed, based on information provided by authorities. Meeting the need for the rising numbers of primary pupils will be a priority consideration for the next spending review period, informed by the outcome of the review of the Department's capital programmes which the Secretary of State announced on 5 July.

Schools: Finance

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the total net revenue balances held by education authorities in England were in each year between 1985-86 and 1999-2000.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 July 2010
	The previous Government started to collect data on school revenue balances from 1999-2000, when net revenue balances held in schools totalled £741 million. This figure does not include maintained nursery schools-data for these were first collected in 2003-04. There are no relevant data for the years before 1999-2000.
	Figures from 1999-2000 up to 2008-09, including by local authority, are available on the Section 251 website at:
	www.education.gov.uk/section52

Schools: Special Educational Needs

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has reviewed the effect of its pupil premium policy on special needs provision.

Nick Gibb: The pupil premium will provide additional funding to help schools to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. Since there is a considerable overlap between deprivation and special needs, this means that the pupil premium will help schools to provide additional support to pupils with special needs.

Schools: Standards

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of schools which had an improved Ofsted rating between their last two inspections had changed status in the intervening period.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 19 July 2010
	 Just under 1% of schools that improved their rating between their last two 'section 5' inspections changed their status in the intervening period, as defined by their designated school type. This encompasses community schools, community special schools, foundation schools, foundation special schools, voluntary aided schools and voluntary controlled schools.

Schools: Standards

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of schools rated by Ofsted at their last inspection as  (a) outstanding,  (b) good,  (c) satisfactory and  (d) inadequate are (i) grammar schools, (ii) comprehensive schools and (iii) academies.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 23 July 2010:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her. Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	The latest period for which published figures about maintained school section 5 inspection outcomes are available is the spring term of 2009/10. This answer looks at the latest inspection judgement for those grammar, comprehensive and academy schools which were open on 21 April 2010 (taken from the Department for Education's Edubase system) and had received an inspection on or before 31 March 2010.
	Tables 1 and 2 contain the information requested. These give the total number of inspections with their overall effectiveness grade as a percentage of all secondary schools and as a percentage of the national picture for all schools, which includes-primary; nursery, special school and pupil referral unit provision.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table 1: Grammar schools, comprehensive schools and academies as a proportion of all secondary schools-categorised-by their overall effectiveness 
			Type of establishment 
			Grammar  Comprehensive  Academies  Other secondary( 2) 
			  Overall effectiveness  All secondary schools( 1)  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 Total 3333 164 5 2578 77 203 1 388 17 
			 Outstanding 625 101 16 453 72 18 3 53 8 
			 Good 1369 56 4 1114 81 23 2 176 13 
			 Satisfactory 1073 7 1 890 83 27 3 149 14 
			 Inadequate 122 0 0 106 87 7 6 9 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Grammar schools, comprehensive schools and academies as a proportion of all schools categorised by their overall effectiveness 
			Type of-establishment 
			Grammar  Comprehensive  Academies  Other establishments( 3) 
			  Overall effectiveness  National( 1)  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 Total 22249 164 1 2578 12 203 1 388 87 
			 Outstanding 3743 101 3 453 12 18 0 53 85 
			 Good 11004 56 1 1114 10 23 0 176 89 
			 Satisfactory 6694 7 0 890 1 27 0 149 86 
			 Inadequate 550 0 0 106 19 7 1 9 80 
			 (1) Schools yet to be inspected are excluded from the analysis so the breakdown by overall effectiveness will not add up to the national or secondary school totals. (2) Other secondary includes all other secondary establishments inspected under section 5. (3) Other establishments include all other education establishments inspected under section 5.  Note: Latest inspection taken from inspections as at 31 March 2010 for schools open at 21 April 2010

Schools: Transport

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education by what date local authorities are obliged to produce their forthcoming plans for education transport for 16-19 year olds; and whether he plans to review such plans before they are adopted.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities are required to publish their transport policy statements each year by the end of May. It is not for central Government to review the plans, which are the statutory responsibility of local authorities, and which set out transport provision and support for young people of sixth form age.

Schools: VAT

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the value added tax paid by maintained schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: In general terms, local authorities can recover input value added tax. Maintained schools count as part of the local authority when spending local authority funds (section 49(5) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998); therefore they can recover VAT through their maintaining authority. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but we do not collect any figures so cannot make an estimate.

Schools: Visits

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions he has visited schools in Warrington since his appointment.

Tim Loughton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has visited several schools since his appointment in May but as yet has not visited any schools in Warrington.

Secure Training Centres: Inspections

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether it is the practice of Ofsted inspectors visiting secure training centres  (a) to have private meetings with children and  (b) to ask such children about their experiences of (i) restraint and (ii) other uses of force.

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether Ofsted inspectors visiting secure training centres examine  (a) medical notes following the use of restraint,  (b) reports of the child's perspective on the use of restraint and  (c) other documents relating to the use of restraint.

Crispin Blunt: I have been asked to reply.
	These are matters for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her response has been placed in the Library.

Sixth Form Colleges: Buildings

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of sixth form colleges requiring refurbishment which have not received capital funding for that purpose in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: No estimate has been made of the number of sixth form colleges requiring refurbishment which have not received capital funding for that purpose in the last 10 years.
	The Department has commissioned a review of all of its capital expenditure to inform decisions about future capital investment. The review team will consult the sixth form college sector to inform its conclusions and recommendations.
	All funding after this financial year is subject to the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review. The review team will provide an interim report in the autumn and a final report by the end of the year that will guide future spending decisions over the next spending review period (2011-12 to 2014-15).

Sixth Form Education

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria he plans to use to assess the  (a) educational case and  (b) business case for new applications from secondary schools to open sixth forms.

Nick Gibb: Under current legislation, decisions on whether a secondary school can expand and open a sixth form are a matter for local determination. A statutory process must be followed and all proposals are decided under local decision making arrangements. There is no role for Ministers.
	The Secretary of State retains responsibility for making any decisions relating to significant changes in academies, including in relation to new provision such as the addition of a sixth form. In making such decisions he would want to take account of any relevant factors, which might include, amongst other things, the quality of existing provision in the area and the impact of any new provision, as well as demand and support from the local community.

Teach First

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many graduates from each region have taken part in the Teach First programme.

Tim Loughton: The Teach First initiative was launched in London in 2003, extended to Manchester in 2006, the Midlands in 2007, Liverpool in 2008 and Yorkshire from 2009.
	The available data relating to Teach First recruits by their home region relate to the 2008/09 academic year only, and are given in the table. Final recruitment data for 2009/10 are expected to be published in January 2011.
	
		
			  Recruitment to the Teach First Programme. Coverage: Government office region, England 
			  2008/09  Number of recruits to the Teach First Programme 
			 England 370 
			   
			  Trainee home region:  
			 North East 5 
			 North West 45 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 15 
			 East Midlands 15 
			 West Midlands 55 
			 East of England 20 
			 London 150 
			 South East 35 
			 South West 15 
			   
			 Unknown 15 
			  Note; Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: TDA's Teach First Database

Teachers: Employment

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to increase the number of placements for newly qualified teachers.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education determines the number of initial teacher training places to be made available in any particular year. Officials are currently collecting the data necessary to run the models to help determine the initial teacher training places which should be made available for 2011/12 and we expect to be able to confirm the numbers to the Training and Development Agency for Schools later this year.
	As determined by the modelling undertaken by the Department, there should be sufficient teaching positions available in England to enable newly qualified teachers to begin teaching and complete their induction year. It is a matter for employers to determine whether a teaching position should be offered to a newly qualified teacher.
	The Department does not set targets for the number of placements in schools that will be available for teacher trainees to carry out their teaching practice. It is the responsibility of training providers to ensure that each trainee teacher has taught in at least two schools prior to the recommendation for the award of Qualified Teacher Status as part of their course provision.

Westgate School Newcastle

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the funding allocated by Newcastle's capital fund to Westgate Primary School in 2008 will continue.

Nick Gibb: Capital funding including funding for primary schools will form part of the capital review announced by the Secretary of State on 5 July. The review is scheduled to release an interim report in the autumn of 2010 and its final findings by the end of the calendar year. All funding after this financial year is subject to the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to Question 3217, on the Building Schools for the Future programme in Birmingham, tabled by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield on 15 June 2010.

Nick Gibb: A response was given to the hon. Member on 26 July 2010,  Official  R eport, columns 808-09W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to answer Question  (a) 11065 and  (b) 11066, on the Building Schools for the Future programme, tabled by the hon. Member for Makerfield on 21 July 2010.

Nick Gibb: A response has been given to the hon. Member today.

Young People: Unemployment

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the provision of careers advice and support for young people who are not in employment, education or training in  (a) Birmingham Erdington constituency and  (b) Birmingham local authority area of recent reductions in area-based grant allocations to local authorities.

Nick Gibb: The savings from the Department for Education's area based grant (ABG) to local authorities are part of the local government contribution to deficit reduction in 2010-11, which represents a 3.6% cut in funding to local authorities. It will be for Birmingham local authority to consider the need for savings across all areas of its expenditure, regardless of whether the initial source of funding is formula or area based, taking account of statutory responsibilities, local priorities and of the Government's commitment to protecting front line services wherever possible. The reduction in ABG does not imply a direct cut to those services funded by the grant, which include careers advice and support for young people not in employment, education or training.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to achieve the same level of technician apprenticeships (level 3) as in Germany, Australia and France.

John Hayes: The coalition Government are committed to improving the quality of apprenticeships to make them better suited to the needs of employers and learners. Our strategy for sustainable growth, published in July, outlined our plans for a skilled work force including apprenticeships, particularly at Level 3 and above, to provide the growth in technician level skills that a dynamic economy needs. As other advanced industrial nations, we need to refocus on technical skills and strengthen progression routes through apprenticeships and into higher level skills and professional development.
	Responding to the demand for new and high level skills is vital if we are to maintain our competitive edge. Our intention to raise the quality of apprenticeships and to build formal progression routes from apprenticeships to higher education is a step change in boosting the quality, credibility and esteem of the apprenticeships system in England.

Apprentices

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the qualifying criteria are for small firms to obtain the £2,000 grant for taking on an apprentice; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: At present there is no national Government subsidy for employers of any size when they recruit an apprentice. I recognise the attraction of such a policy but in the context of the current fiscal climate we need to be cautious and ensure that we secure the best possible value for our apprenticeship funding.
	Earlier this year the National Apprenticeship Service ran the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers, a time-limited initiative which gave 5,000 SMEs a subsidy of £2,500 for recruitment of a 16 or 17 year-old apprentice. We will want to consider the evaluation of this initiative carefully before making any decisions about future subsidies for SMEs.
	However, Government do fully fund the training costs for 16-18 year old apprentices, and make a significant contribution towards the training costs for adult apprentices.

BP: Libya

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department had with (i) BP and (ii) the Government of Libya on oil drilling off the coast of Libya between July 2007 and March 2008.

Mark Prisk: There were no meetings in the period July 2007 to March 2008 between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and BP, or the Government of Libya, concerning oil drilling off the Libyan coast, at either ministerial or official level.

Civil Service Live Conference

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to the public purse was of the  (a) BusinessLink and  (b) Government Office for Science stand at Civil Service Live 2010.

Edward Davey: Businesslink.gov shared a Government on-line exhibition stand at Civil Service Live 2010 with Directgov and NHS Choices. The total cost of the stand was £12,200. The Business Link contribution to this was £4,300, paid by HMRC who manage the businesslink.gov website.
	The Government Office for Science shared an exhibition stand with the Office for National Statistics. The total cost of the stand was £18,700. The Government Office for Science contribution to this was £9,350.

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which former  (a) buildings and  (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.

Edward Davey: This Department and its predecessors have not sold any buildings or land since May 2005. All buildings on the core BIS Estate are leased.
	Information for non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, The National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26 July 2010, UIN 12330 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has not sold any buildings or land since May 2005.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 August 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question, tabled on 26 July 2010, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking about sales of buildings and land owned by the Department and the public bodies and agencies for which it is responsible since May 2005.
	Neither the National Measurement Office nor its predecessor, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, have sold any land or buildings since May 2005.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 23 August 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office, an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not sold any property or land in this period.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 26 August 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question UIN 12330 tabled on 26 July 2010 :To ask Her Majesty's Government which former (a) buildings and (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case.
	The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010 and has not in the last 5 months since its creation, sold any properties.
	The Learning and Skills Council - the predecessor to the Skills Funding Agency did not sell any properties in the period May 2005 - 31 March 2010 as the LSC did not own any freeholds therefore no capital receipts were ever generated.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 28 July 2010:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question if he will list the former (a) buildings and (b) land of (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies, (B) agencies and (C) independent statutory bodies for which his Department is responsible which have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each (1) was at the time of sale and (2) is at current prices; and whether the money accrued was (x) retained by his Department and (y) claimed by the Treasury.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no sales of buildings, property or land in the last five years. The Insolvency Service does not own any current holdings of this type and will therefore not benefit from any future sales.

Departmental Buildings

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much office space per employee his Department and its predecessors occupied in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: This Department does not hold information going back to 1997 centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the Office of Government Commerce 'State of the Estate' reports for 2008 and 2009, which can be found at the following link and which includes the information requested for the financial years 2007/08 and 2008/09.
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/high_performing_property_the_state_of_the_estate_2009.asp

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many chairs his Department and its predecessors purchased in each year since 1997; how much was spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Edward Davey: This Department centrally held records do not split out the cost of chairs from overall furniture costs and to provide this along with information on numbers of chairs purchased would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much  (a) his Department and its predecessor and  (b) its agencies spent on search engine biasing with (i) Google and (ii) other search engines in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: In June 2007 the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) were created from the former DTI and the former Department for Education and Skills (DfES). The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created on 5 June 2009 by merging BERR and DIUS. This reply contains information relating to the former DTI, the former BERR and the former DIUS.
	No money has been spent by BIS on buying search engine keywords or other forms of paid search engine marketing for the corporate website:
	www.bis.gov.uk
	or any of its predecessors.
	In March 2010, the Department spent £3,000 on Google Adwords as part of the 'Who Gets the Tip?' campaign. No money was spent on other search engines.
	The Student Finance Campaign also spent money on Google Adwords: £154,360 in 2007-08; and £85,000 in 2008-09.
	In 2009-10, this campaign was superseded by the Graduate Talent Pool. £85,554 was spent on marketing this website with Google.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to my hon. Friend directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 15 July 2010, UIN 10011 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has never spent any money on search engine biasing.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 19 July 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office has not spent any money on search engine biasing with Google or any other search engine in the last five years.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 16 July 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 15 July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking about expenditure on search engine biasing either with Google or other search engines in each of the last five years.
	Neither NMO nor its predecessor, the National Weights & Measures Laboratory, has spent any money on search engine biasing in any of the last five years.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 19 July 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 15 July (UIN 10011), to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, concerning spend on search engine biasing with (i) Google and (ii) other search engines in the Department and its agencies in each of the last five years.
	The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010. Since that date we have not spent any money on search engine biasing with Google or any other search engine.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 16 July 2010:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has asked me to reply to your question how much (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies spent on search engine biasing with (i) Google and (ii) other search engines in each of the last five years.
	The Insolvency Service is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Over the last five years The Service has spent no money on Google or any other search engine biasing.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the annual expenditure on vehicles of  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) Executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each English region was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure for 2010-11 is in each case.

Edward Davey: For the central Department, expenditure on vehicles is not broken down on a regional basis and the data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I have asked the Chief Executives of the Department's agencies to respond directly to the Member. Information on expenditure on vehicles by the Department's NDPBs is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 27 August 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 26 July 2010 (UIN 12466). To ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the annual expenditure on vehicles of  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each English region was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.
	The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010 and has not in the last 5 months since its creation had an expenditure on vehicles.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 23 August 2010:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question what the annual expenditure on vehicles of  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each English region was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills incurred the following annual expenditure on vehicles in each English region in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is in each case for 2010-11.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Actual 2007-08  Actual 2008-09  Actual 2009-10  Forecast 2010-11 
			  Region 
			 East Midlands 127 0 106 163 
			 East of England 311 49 135 209 
			 London 9,073 11,855 4,021 4,484 
			 North East England 278 1,179 245 378 
			 North West England 33 541 439 675 
			 South East England 96 88 0 0 
			 South West England 88 259 373 575 
			 West Midlands 1,517 5,225 1,847 2,000 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 11,523 19,196 7,166 8,484 
		
	
	In all cases the vehicle expenditure relates to car or van hire for ad hoc purposes where public transport is not available or it is more economical and secure to move equipment b y this method.
	 Letter from Richard Sanders, dated 25 August 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 26 July 2010, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking the annual expenditure on vehicles in each of the last three financial years and what the planned expenditure is for the 2010-11 financial year.
	The National Measurement Office and its predecessor, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, spent the following on vehicles:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  
			 2007-08 9,884.46 
			 2008-09 7,088.71 
			 2009-10 14,371.45 
		
	
	Around 78% of the above costs were fully recovered from customers that pay for NMO commercial services.
	The planned expenditure on vehicles for the 2010-2011 financial year is £24,000.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 23 August 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spent the following on vehicles
	
		
			   £000 
			 2007-08 128 
			 2008-09 114 
			 2009-10 107 
			 2010-11 (estimated) 105 
		
	
	This mainly comprised hire cars and did not include any purchases.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 29 July 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26 July 2010, UIN 12466 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	There has been no expenditure on vehicles in any English region in the last three financial years by Companies House, and there are no plans for any in 2010-11.

Departmental Pay

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was paid in remuneration in total to civil servants in his Department in 2009-10.

Edward Davey: In total, £186,078,000 was paid as remuneration to civil servants by Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in 2009-10. This includes pay, employer pension contributions and national insurance payments, as well as any taxable benefits and non consolidated performance related payments.

Departmental Pensions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.

Edward Davey: Pension contributions for the last three financial years plus planned expenditure for 2010-11 are given as follows for core BIS.
	
		
			  April to March each year  £ 
			 2007-08 26,196,959 
			 2008-09 21,983,957 
			 2009-10 23,738,026 
			 2010-11 27,086,938 
			  Note s : 1. Data for non-departmental public bodies is not included as gathering it would have incurred disproportionate cost. 2. It is not possible to split the expenditure by region. 
		
	
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 27 August 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question UIN 12465 tabled on 26 July 2010 to ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years: and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.
	We are detailing below the pensions contributions incurred by both The Skills Funding Agency which was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010 and its predecessor organisation the Learning and Skills Council.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Learning and Skills Council  Skills Funding Agency 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 PCSPS 22,681,829.51 23,419,088.12 23,054,144.09 14,492,968.95 
			 Partnership 174,126.41 158,165.11 171,362.50 119,892.24 
			 ASLC 13,997.51 12,844.20 13,622.50 8,685.57 
			 Private pensions 29,643.77 27,240.87 27,525.72 8,634.66 
			 Total 22,899,597.20 23,617,338.30 23,266,654.81 14,630,181.42 
		
	
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 August 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question, tabled on 26 July 2010, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by his Department and the public bodies and agencies for which it is responsible for each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010/11.
	The National Measurement Office, and its predecessor the National Weights & Measures Laboratory, incurred the following pension contribution costs for the last three financial years:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007/08 376,060 
			 2008/09 367,360 
			 2009/10 486,628 
			  Note: The figure in the Annual Report and Accounts for 2009/10 shows £515,000 in respect of 2008/09 in order to provide a comparative figure, for Machinery of Government accounting purposes, following the move of the National Measurement System to NMO on 1 April 2009) 
		
	
	Planned expenditure in 2010/11 implies pension contribution costs of £508,742.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 4 August 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26 July 2010, UIN 12465, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The costs incurred by Companies House on pension contributions in the last three financial years, and the amount of the planned expenditure for 2010/11 is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £000 
			 2007/08 4,263 
			 2008/09 4,351 
			 2009/10 4,361 
			 2010/11 4,261 
		
	
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 23 August 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills employs staff in two locations Wales and London. The cost of pension contributions made, mainly to the Civil Service Superannuation Scheme, by the Office were:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Wales  London 
			 2010/11 (est) 5,200 220 
			 2009/10 4,998 197 
			 2008/09 5,486 114 
			 2007/08 5,162 74 
		
	
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 25 August 2010:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2010-11.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills incurred pension contributions in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and has planned expenditure for pension contributions in 2010-11 as follows.
	
		
			  (A) Scotland 
			  £ 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Scotland 128,724 132,015 135,898 139,171 
		
	
	Insolvency law in Scotland is partially reserved and partially devolved. Pension contributions in Scotland relate to the administration of redundancy payments and disqualification of directors.
	
		
			  (B) Wales 
			  £ 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Wales 303,360 359,427 375,133 400,634 
		
	
	
		
			  (C) Each of the English regions 
			  £ 
			  English regions  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 East Midlands 512,697 567,901 570,992 609,807 
			 East of England 905,788 1,044,246 1,064,000 1,129,577 
			 London 3,703,996 3,721,694 3,591,042 3,701,363 
			 North East England 327,990 369,387 385,371 411,568 
			 North West England 1,327,933 1,478,765 1,511,271 1,602,776 
			 South East England 797,029 849,611 816,070 871,545 
			 South West England 830,821 890,230 882,440 945,659 
			 West Midlands 1,547,604 1,994,857 2,203,067 2,486,113 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 703,058 785,867 780,716 833,787 
		
	
	
		
			  (D) Northern Ireland 
			  £ 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Northern Ireland 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	Northern Ireland has its own insolvency regime.

Departmental Written Questions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of questions  (a) for ordinary written answer,  (b) for written answer on a named day and  (c) tabled in the House of Lords for answer by his Department have been answered on the due date in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Department aims to answer all House of Commons written parliamentary questions within five sitting days of the question being tabled and to provide substantive replies to named day parliamentary questions on the date specified by the Member. For House of Lords parliamentary questions the Department aims to answer within 10 calendar working days. Based on these targets, the information for parliamentary questions tabled before the summer recess is as follows(1):
	(1) For questions tabled to the Department or transferred to the Department from another Government Department.
	
		
			  Commons written parliamentary questions 
			On time 
			  Due for answer  Total tabled  Number  Percentage 
			 June 2010 316 230 73 
			 July 2010 310 222 72 
		
	
	
		
			  Commons named day parliamentary questions 
			On time 
			  Date for answer  Total tabled  Number  Percentage 
			 May 2010 5 (1)0 (1)0 
			 June 2010 86 65 76 
			 July 2010 95 71 75 
			 (1) The five named day parliamentary questions received substantive answers within two sitting days from the date requested. 
		
	
	
		
			  Lords parliamentary questions 
			On time 
			  Date for answer  Total tabled  Number  Percentage 
			 June 2010 37 37 100 
			 July 2010 66 66 100 
		
	
	The Department continues to monitor performance in answering parliamentary questions in line with the previous Government's response, (7 December 2009-HC 129), to the Procedure Committee report on written parliamentary questions.

Electric Vehicles: Finance

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his plans are for the future of the plug-in car grant scheme for electric vehicles.

Mark Prisk: The Secretary of State for Transport announced the Government's plans for the consumer incentive for ultra-low carbon cars on 28 July 2010.

Employment Agencies: Regulation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will undertake further consultation with the recruitment industry on the provisions of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010.

Edward Davey: The Government are aware of the different points of view expressed by various stakeholders, including the recruitment industry, about certain aspects of the Agency Workers Regulations and is currently considering the way forward.

Employment Agencies: Regulation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department made of the cost to the agency worker industry of the implementation of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010; and if his Department will take steps to reduce the amount of regulation on such agencies.

Edward Davey: An impact assessment was published under the previous Government at the time of laying the Agency Workers Regulations in January 2010.
	The annual costs to the private and public sector represents about 0.3% of the total UK wage bill (around £1,800 million).
	The Government are aware of the different points of view expressed by various stakeholders about certain aspects of the Agency Workers Regulations and are currently considering the way forward.

Employment Agencies: Regulation

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on job creation and economic recovery of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: An impact assessment (IA) on the Agency Workers Regulations was published when they were laid by the previous Government in January 2010. This considered a range of possible dynamic effects, including the impact on job creation. The IA noted that higher costs associated with hiring temporary agency workers may manifest themselves in terms of price (wages) and/or quantity (number of agency workers hired) adjustments, and that the nature of the effect is likely to vary by sector or occupation.

Employment Agencies: Regulation

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to consult with  (a) employment agencies and  (b) employers in advance of the implementation of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010.

Edward Davey: Two public consultations took place in 2009 under the previous Administration. The first on the policy proposals (May-June 2009) and the second on the draft regulations (October to December 2009). Employment agencies and employers responded to both consultations. The Government are aware of the different points of view expressed by various stakeholders about certain aspects of these regulations and are currently considering the way forward.

Employment Agencies: Regulation

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will extend the 12 week qualification period contained in the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 relating to pay and associated benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The 12 week qualifying period contained in the Agency Workers Regulations is based on an agreement reached between the TUC and CBI in May 2008. Under the provisions in the directive, a member state may introduce a qualifying period only on the basis of an agreement between national level social partners.

Employment Agencies: Regulation

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will delay the implementation of the provisions of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 implement the European agency workers directive and are scheduled to come into force on 1 October 2011 All member states are required to bring the directive into force by 5 December 2011. 1 October 2011 is the closest common commencement date to this deadline.

EU Grants and Loans

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has held with regional development agencies on the European regional development fund.

Mark Prisk: The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), has held no recent discussions with the regional development agencies (RDAs) on the European regional development fund (ERDF).

EU Grants and Loans

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he expects any of the European regional development fund allocations to the UK for period 2007-13 to go unspent.

Mark Prisk: The UK's allocation for the European regional development fund in the period 2007-13 is €5.4 billion and the Government expect this allocation to be fully spent by the closure of the programmes in 2015.
	However a number of factors may prevent this allocation from being fully spent such as variations in the exchange rate or the presence of irregularities in projects. Progress in meeting the spend targets will be monitored throughout the programme period.

Football: Insolvency

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to retain Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs preferential creditor status in cases involving insolvent football clubs.

Edward Davey: The Government have no plans to add any creditor to those currently considered preferential in an insolvency proceeding.

Further Education: Finance

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of funding for further education colleges was provided from  (a) central Government,  (b) local government and  (c) other sources in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Hayes: Since 1 April 2010, the Skills Funding Agency, an Executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), has responsibility for allocating funding to Further Education (FE) colleges and other training organisations for the delivery of post-19 FE and skills provision.
	FE colleges may also receive funding for 16-18 FE and Skills provision, Higher Education and programmes for the unemployed from central Government. In addition they may receive funding from local authorities and European Social Funds. As autonomous bodies colleges also receive private funding from individuals and employers.
	Each FE College is required to publish a set of annual accounts, which can be found on the Skills Funding Agency website:
	http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/
	The most recent data available are for the academic year 2008/09, when the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) was the major funding body for both 16-18 and 19+ FE. The online figures for this year show that income across listed FE colleges which was recorded as "total funding bodies and government agencies income" was £6.3 billion. A total of £82 million was invested in FE colleges by "local authorities and schools," while "total other" college income was £465 million.

Industrial Disputes

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many industrial action ballots were held by organisations in  (a) the private sector,  (b) the public sector and  (c) each category of the 2007 Standard Industrial Classification in each year since 1990; how many union members were (i) in favour and (ii) against industrial action in each case; what proportion of the (A) eligible union membership and (B) total workforce these figures represents; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: There is no requirement for trade unions or others to report such information to the Government; therefore the Government do not possess these figures.

Internet: Public Libraries

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what account he took of the Government's digital inclusion agenda in formulating his policy on free internet access in public libraries; and what assessment he has made of the likely effects of that policy on levels of public access to high speed broadband internet services.

Edward Vaizey: Government recently decided not to constrain local authorities' spending decisions by pursuing the commitment to deliver entirely free internet access in all public libraries which was set out in the Public Library Modernisation Review Policy statement published in March 2010. Library authorities need as much freedom as possible when deciding how to spend their budgets and they should be free to pursue the initiatives that are suitable for their community.
	However, public libraries have been embracing their digital role and helping people navigate through digital as well as printed information for many years. 79% of library services in England provide free internet access and a further 12% charge nothing for the first hour (91% of the total). The availability of this low cost internet access in every community will be vital to Race Online's mission to build a UK of near-universal web literacy by the time of the Olympics and get everyone of working-age online by the end of this Parliament.
	The library promise to support Race Online by introducing 500,000 people to the internet for the first time will be a perfect opportunity to prove that free or low cost internet access and support to get online in libraries can be instrumental in closing the digital divide.

Internet: Regulation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to require internet providers to identify individuals who leave derogatory or insulting comments about others on internet sites; under what legislation the internet in the United Kingdom is regulated; what changes are proposed; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: United Kingdom law, including the laws of defamation and libel, does not differentiate between the online and offline environment. What is unlawful offline is unlawful online. Citizens who believe they have suffered derogatory or insulting comments online are able to take civil action to seek redress.
	The Government have issued a Call for Evidence on the European Data Protection Directive and the Data Protection Act 1998 to ensure that there are safeguards for people's personal data. The Call for Evidence, which closes on 6 October 2010, will enable interested parties to inform the Government as to the adequacy of the current data protection laws. The information will then be assessed and used to inform the United Kingdom's position in negotiations on a new EU instrument for data protection. These are expected to commence in 2011.

Internet: Regulation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills under what legislation file sharing is regulated; what changes to such legislation are planned during the next two years; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: File-sharing technology is, of course, entirely legal; it is its use to unlawfully share copyright material which is addressed within the Digital Economy Act 2010. The Act sets out two obligations to tackle online copyright infringement. The obligations set out in sections 3-8 will be imposed on internet service providers (ISPs) to send notifications to subscribers alleged by right holders to be infringing copyright and to record the number of notifications with which each subscriber is associated and make this data available to right holders, without revealing the identities of the subscribers on request.
	The second obligation will allow the rights holder to apply for a court order to get access to the name and address of the serious repeat infringers, in order to target legal action against them.
	These measures will only take practical effect once a code has been approved by Ofcom and Parliament. We expect these measures to make a significant difference to the level of unlawful file-sharing, and so have no current plans to make any changes in the next two years.

Manufacturing Advisory Group

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the Manufacturing Advisory Group.

Mark Prisk: The coalition Government recognise the importance of manufacturing to the UK. We believe it is key to engage with industry through individual sector stakeholder groups and we are actively involved in fora such as the Automotive Council, to ensure that Government and industry can respond together to the challenges facing industry. Therefore, we have decided not to continue with the Ad Hoc Ministerial Advisory Group on Manufacturing.

Minimum Wage

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people who have received an increase in wages consequent on each uprating of the national minimum wage since its implementation.

Edward Davey: The Low Pay Commission (LPC) estimates that around 970,000 workers stand to benefit from the October 2010 uprating of the NMW. Similarly, BIS estimates that around one million jobs have had their pay increased each year because of annual upratings of the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
	It is not possible to add up the number of potential beneficiaries of the NMW over the years since its implementation because consecutive years' figures may include many of the same people. However, over time people move in and out of jobs and progress up the pay scale so new individuals will be affected by the NMW every year. Therefore the total number of people to have benefited from an increase in wages due to upratings in the NMW since 1999 is likely to considerably exceed one million.

Nanotechnology: Cosmetics

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on health of the use of  (a) nanomaterials and  (b) C60 fullerenes in cosmetic products; what account was taken of the findings of the (i) EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Products in 2008 and (ii) Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in 2007 in making such an assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Department has made no such assessment.
	Cosmetics are regulated under the Cosmetic Product (Safety) Regulations 2008 and while nanomaterials are not specifically mentioned, all products are required to undergo a safety assessment which has to take into account, among other things the particle size of ingredients. A new European Regulation which comes fully into force in July 2013 will require all new cosmetic products to be notified to the European Commission six months prior to being placed on the market and this notification will include a section on nanoparticles. The report shall include the identification of the nanomaterial, the size of particles, physical and chemical properties; an estimate of the quantity of nanomaterial intended to be placed on the market per year; the toxicological profile and the safety data foreseeable exposure conditions relating to the category of cosmetic product.

National Composites Centre

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has allocated for the development of supply-chain capability in the National Composites Centre in 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: BIS has provided £16 million to build the National Composites Centre and has provided a further £6 million for a Composites Grand Challenge to develop innovative ways to make composite structures quickly and cost effectively.
	Any further BIS spending on composite initiatives will be subject to the Spending Review.

Post Offices: Bank Services

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his officials have had with the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on the proposal by Camelot to enter the bill payment and mobile telephone market; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: My officials were briefed by the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on their views and response to the consultation on the Camelot proposal to provide commercial services through lottery terminals. These discussions took place prior to the National Lottery Commission's provisional decision on 16 July not to give consent to the Camelot proposal.

Post Offices: Bank Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made by Post Office Ltd., Camelot and the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on the application by Camelot for a licence to provide commercial services, including bill payments and mobile phone top-ups, with a view to enabling the proposed new bill payment service to be provided through Post Office Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The National Lottery Commission announced on 16 July that it had reached a provisional decision not to give consent to Camelot's application as there is a significant risk of it breaching EU/Competition law. The Commission is giving all parties the opportunity to make any final representations on this provisional decision by 3 September 2010.

Post Offices: Finance

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to provide a level of subsidy to the Post Office which will ensure no reduction in the number of post office branches beyond 2011.

Edward Davey: The Government fully recognise the important social and economic role of post offices in the communities they serve and have made clear they will not repeat the closure programmes of the previous Government. We are also committed to making a social network payment of £180 million to support the network at around its present size in 2011-12, subject to state aid clearance from the European Commission.

Public Sector: Procurement

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to assist small businesses to participate in the tendering process for public sector services.

Mark Prisk: Improving public procurement processes to ensure fair access for small businesses is a priority for the Government. The coalition agreement announced our aspiration that 25% of Government contracts should be awarded to small and medium sized businesses.
	Officials are developing a programme of activity and details will be announced in due course.

Regional Development Agencies

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has issued guidance to regional development agencies on public expenditure since the publication of the coalition agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Regional Development Agencies each have a Financial Accountability Framework which sets out their main financial duties.
	Since the publication of the coalition document we have written to each of the RDAs detailing the reductions in RDA budgets for 2010-11 and highlighting the requirements for new spending prior to and beyond March 2011, the latter to be approved by BIS and HM Treasury.
	This Department has also written recently to all its arms-length bodies with regard to new arrangements in relation to consultancy and marketing expenditure.

Regional Development Agencies

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any powers exercised by regional development agencies (RDAs) will be transferred to central Government upon abolition of RDAs.

Mark Prisk: We are reviewing all the functions of the RDAs. We believe some of these are best led nationally, such as inward investment, sector leadership, responsibility for business support, innovation, and access to finance, such as venture capital funds. Some of the RDAs existing roles are being scrapped, such as Regional Strategies. The forthcoming White Paper on sub-national economic growth will set out our approach in more detail.

Regional Development Agencies

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to ensure that funding under the Regional Growth Fund is prioritised for regions and areas with greater economic needs.

Mark Prisk: The consultation on the Regional Growth Fund was launched on 23 July and closes on 6 September. Criteria to be applied to ensure that the Fund achieves its main objectives will be set out, following the consultation, in the White Paper on sub-national growth, which will be published in the autumn.
	The objectives of the Growth Fund are:
	To stimulate enterprise by providing support for projects with significant potential for economic growth and create additional sustainable private sector employment; and
	To support in particular those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector led growth and prosperity.

Regional Development Agencies

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which powers exercised by regional development agencies he plans to transfer to local enterprise partnerships.

Mark Prisk: No decisions have been taken as yet regarding which functions previously carried out by the regional development agencies will move over to local enterprise partnerships.

Sector Skills Councils

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to reform sector skills councils; and whether he will reduce the number of such councils.

John Hayes: The coalition Government believe in a strong employer role and voice in the skills system, and that this is best organised at sectoral level. Sector skills councils have a crucial role in all aspects of our skills policy, including apprenticeships. We will continue to empower them as the voice of employers in the skills system-and to challenge them to perform with maximum effectiveness. The number of SSCs should be for employers to determine, taking account of the structure of the economy and the need to resource effectively. The coalition Government will welcome any proposals from employers to merge or rationalise SSCs were this is in the best of interests of their sectors.

Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to support industries that rely on the protection of intellectual property following the decision to close the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) continues to promote innovation by providing a clear, accessible and widely understood intellectual property (IP) framework so that creators, users and consumers can benefit from knowledge and ideas. The IPO supports industry by granting robust IP rights and further through business support activities such as IP education programmes.
	The Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy (SABIP) which was formally established on 2 June 2008 provided Government with independent, strategic, evidence based advice on IP. Following the decision to dissolve SABIP, the sponsoring agency, the IPO, consolidated key IPO and SABIP research into one programme. The combined work is designed to bring together existing sources of data on IP rights, linking them to economic data to develop a definitive information base with direct relevance to policy evaluation.
	During 2010/11 this evidence will be used to answer the following questions:
	How much does UK industry spend creating IP protected by IPRs, and what does this investment deliver?
	How big is investment in the copyright economy, who earns what from it and how are value chains affected by digital media?
	Do patents add value to R&D-how much, and in which industries/markets?
	Which firms make money out of IP and innovation without patents, and how?
	Do trademarks help innovation and growth-and which firms win from branding?
	Why is UK design a major success despite using few registered rights?
	Are EU copyright levies a useful reward system or distortion of the market?
	Can patent markets create depth and transparency to benefit innovators?
	Research partners will help the IPO bring together data on business use of IP rights, innovation and business performance, creating a knowledge base that other researchers and policy analysts will be able to access, use and develop. All the research reports will be published. I do not intend to make any further statements.

Telephone Services

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many telephone lines are in use in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales,  (c) each region of England and (d) Northern Ireland; and how many such lines are broadband lines.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not gather or keep such statistics. Ofcom's Communications Market Report 2010 reports that in 2009 the number of fixed telephone lines in the UK was 32.1 million. Ofcom's Technology Tracker Q1 (January to February 2010 fieldwork) for fixed line telephone and fixed broadband penetration (proportion of households with each service) indicated that in the UK, 85% of households had a fixed line, (some 27.3 million lines) and 65% of households had fixed broadband (some 20.9 million lines). The Technology Tracker also records the following country and regional information by household:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   England  Scotland  Wales  N. Ireland 
			 Fixed line 86 79 79 81 
			 Fixed broadband 66 54 57 62 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   London  South East  South West  East Midlands  West Midlands  East of England 
			 Fixed Line 84 92 90 85 83 92 
			 Fixed broadband 63 74 72 69 58 72 
			
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Yorkshire/Humberside  North East  North West 
			 Fixed line 84 82 82 
			 Fixed broadband 64 63 60

Tobacco

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had since 7 May 2010 with representatives of those engaged in the manufacture and sale of tobacco products; what the (i) nature and (ii) subject of those meetings was; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: BIS officials have met once with tobacco manufacturers since 7 May to discuss the proposed EU Reference Standard in respect of 'low ignition propensity' cigarettes. BIS officials have also met on one occasion since 7 May with tobacco retailers to discuss the forthcoming tobacco display ban. There have been no other meetings between BIS officials or Ministers with tobacco manufacturers or retailers other than the Secretary of State for Business meeting with retailers in his own constituency. However there may have been other meetings between officials and retailers (some of which sell tobacco products) because the Department has regular contact with retailers on a variety of business issues.

Trade Competitiveness

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to seek to ensure that by 2020 the UK will be in the top eight Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries for skills, employment and productivity performance; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: In 'A Strategy for Sustainable Growth', published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in July, the Government state that, by strengthening macroeconomic fundamentals and providing a strong framework for business and growth, they aim to increase productivity through skills, innovation, ICT diffusion and new firm start-ups. We are in the process of further developing this strategy to improve the UK's performance.
	We want to build an internationally competitive skills base. We have already begun the process of reforming the further education and skills system by refocusing funding on 50,000 extra apprenticeship places, and putting measures in place to free colleges and training organisations from unnecessary bureaucracy. But we want to go further, to redesign the system so it places power and responsibility in the hands of learners and employers, and supports the vision for a "Big Society". We are therefore consulting on the future direction of skills policy, including how to measure how well employers and the skills system are progressing in meeting our priorities.
	On productivity, between 1998 and 2008, the UK closed the productivity (as measured by output per worker) gap with Germany and narrowed the gap with France, and broadly kept pace with the US. Over the same period, the gap in productivity in terms of output per hour worked has also narrowed with Germany, though remained broadly unchanged with both France and the US.
	On employment, the latest comparable data (2009) show the UK's employment rate is 70.6% compared with an OECD average of 64.8% in 2009. We seek to support a flexible labour market. We also recognise the continuing need to provide strong employment support to those that are out of work.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how much his Department and its predecessors has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by his Department and its predecessor for use by trade unions in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created on 6 June 2009 by merging the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). Records of trade union related activities are therefore not available for 2009/10 or before the merger.
	The trade unions represented within this Department are: FDA, Prospect and PCS. Since the formation of BIS in 2009, no money has been paid to any of the three trade unions recognised for collective bargaining in BIS.
	BIS currently employs 3.0 full-time departmental Trade Union Side Officers at an approximate cost of £90,000. Across BIS a number of staff have small facilities time allocations. More details on this can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	This Department provides office facilities within its buildings at 1 Victoria Street, London and at St Paul's Place in Sheffield for the use of the Trade Union Side. The current cost per annum of providing this space is £26,205. As a consequence of the Department's formation, it operates two IT contracts with different service components and differing charging regimes that are in the process of being unified. Currently it is not possible to separate the costs sufficiently to respond accurately to this specific request.

Trade Unions

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the workforce  (a) of each sex and  (b) in each region are members of a trade union in (i) the public and (ii) the private sector; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The following table provides the proportion of employees who are trade union members, the trade union density by gender, region and sector for the latest period available. This information is self-reported by respondents to the Office of National Statistics' Labour Force Survey.
	
		
			  Table: Trade union density by gender, region and sector, 2009 Q4 
			  Percentage not seasonally adjusted 
			 Gender 
			  Country  Region  Sector  All  Male  Female 
			 United Kingdom  All employees 27.4 25.2 29.5 
			   Private 15.1 17.2 12.4 
			   Public 56.6 56.2 56.8 
			 England  All employees 26.1 24.3 27.9 
			   Private 14.5 16.6 11.8 
			   Public 54.9 55.0 54.8 
			  North East All employees 35.7 35.7 35.8 
			   Private 21.3 26.4 14.6 
			   Public 62.8 63.3 62.5 
			  North West All employees 32.1 29.7 34.6 
			   Private 17.2 19.4 14.3 
			   Public 64.3 66.6 63.1 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber All employees 28.7 27.3 30.2 
			   Private 16.8 19.5 13.3 
			   Public 56.8 57.7 56.4 
			  East Midlands All employees 26.4 24.5 28.3 
			   Private 15.2 17.1 12.8 
			   Public 55.3 56.6 54.6 
			  West Midlands All employees 28.1 26.3 29.8 
			   Private 16.2 19.7 11.6 
			   Public 57.6 56.4 58.1 
			  East of England All employees 22.8 20.9 24.7 
			   Private 12.6 14.5 10.1 
			   Public 49.4 48.7 49.7 
			  London All employees 21.5 19.2 24.0 
			   Private 11.0 11.9 9.7 
			   Public 49.8 48.3 50.8 
			  South East All employees 21.9 20.3 23.5 
			   Private 11.6 12.7 10.2 
			   Public 51.0 53.5 49.6 
			  South West All employees 26.0 24.9 27.0 
			   Private 15.8 18.5 12.6 
			   Public 50.7 47.7 52.3 
			 Wales  All employees 35.4 31.1 39.3 
			   Private 18.3 19.7 16.6 
			   Public 64.5 62.3 65.7 
			 Scotland  All employees 31.8 28.4 35.2 
			   Private 16.8 18.8 14.1 
			   Public 63.2 61.0 64.4 
			 Northern Ireland  All employees 39.9 35.4 44.0 
			   Private 25.3 27.0 23.0 
			   Public 65.6 62.0 67.4 
			  Source: Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	More detailed information on trade union membership statistics can be found on the BIS website:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/employment-matters/research/trade-union-stats

Trade Unions: Finance

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments have been made to trades unions through the  (a) Partnership At Work and  (b) Strategic Partnership Fund in each financial year since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The following table provides the payments and commitments made to trade unions through the  (a) Partnership at Work fund  (b) Strategic Partnership Fund in each financial year during their lifetimes.
	
		
			  (a) Funds committed to unions  2000-03 
			  Union  Purpose  Year in which commitment made  Amount given (£) 
			 AEEU Partnership Fund 2000 49,912 
			 Amicus Partnership fund 2002 47,360 
			 Community and Youth Workers Union Partnership Fund 2000 50,000 
			 MSF Partnership Fund 2000 20,000 
			 MSF Partnership Fund 2000 30,000 
			 MSF Partnership fund 2000 26,405 
			 Numast Partnership Fund 2002 36,800 
			 Royal College of Midwives Partnership Fund 2000 34,000 
			 Royal College of Nursing Partnership Fund 2002 18,650 
			 Scottish TUC Partnership Fund 2000 37,575 
			 TGWU Partnership Fund 2001 50,000 
			 TGWU Partnership Fund 2002 42,276 
			 TUC Partnership Fund 2000 14,450 
			 TUC Partnership Fund 2000 24,300 
			 TUC Partnership Fund 2002 43,015 
			 Unison Partnership Fund 2000 32,500 
			 Unison Partnership Fund 2000 13,440 
			 Unison Partnership fund 2000 50,000 
			 Unison Partnership Fund 2001 14,000 
			 Unison Partnership Fund 2003 50,000 
			  Note: Annual breakdowns of the expenditure before 2004 are not available, so we have provided details of commitments made to individual unions. 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Funds paid to u nions, 2005-08 
			  Year ended 31 March 2005:   
			  Union  Purpose  £ 
			 Amicus Strategic Partnership Fund 37,592 
			 GMB Strategic Partnership Fund 96,871 
			 GPMU Strategic Partnership Fund 3,880 
			 TUC Strategic Partnership Fund 26,472 
			 TUC Strategic Partnership Fund 12,544 
			 UCATT Strategic Partnership Fund 61,045 
			  Year ended 31 March 2006 :   
			 Amicus Strategic Partnership Fund 261,381 
			 GMB Strategic Partnership Fund 108,000 
			 TUC Strategic Partnership Fund 21,512 
			 TUC Strategic Partnership Fund 34,270 
			 UCATT Strategic Partnership Fund 69,898 
			  Year ended 31 March 2007:   
			 GMB Strategic Partnership Fund 15,000 
			 TUC Strategic Partnership Fund 68,000 
			 UCATT Strategic Partnership Fund 4,443 
			  Year ended 31 March 2008 :   
			 Amicus Strategic Partnership Fund 286,881.41 
			 PCS Strategic Partnership Fund 17,500

Trade Unions: Finance

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments have been awarded to trade unions through the union learning fund in each financial year since the fund was established; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) currently provides funding to support the union learning fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation, which administers the Fund on behalf of the Department. The main purpose of this budget is to enable trade unions and union learning representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take up of learning and raise skill levels in the workplace. All ULF projects are bound by contracts with defined learning targets and outcomes.
	Since the introduction of ULF in 1998 annual expenditure in each financial year has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1998-99 1.7 
			 1999-2000 3.1 
			 2000-01 3.9 
			 2001-02 6.3 
			 2002-03 7.4 
			 2003-04 12.2 
			 2004-05 14.4 
			 2005-06 15.4 
			 2006-07 16.9 
			 2007-08 18.4 
			 2008-09 21.4 
			 2009-10 21.5 
		
	
	Unions and their ULRs play a significant role in helping adults, particularly those who are poorly qualified and with no background in continuing their education, to become engaged and more confident with learning and improve their skills. In 2009-10 over 233,000 learners in workplaces across the country were helped back into learning by the union learning fund and union learning representatives.

Trade Unions: Finance

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments were made to trade unions through the union modernisation fund in 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The information on how much has been paid to each trade union from the union modernisation fund in 2009-10 is as follows:
	
		
			  FY April 2009-March 2010  £ 
			 ACCORD 30,587.50 
			 Association of Teachers and Lecturers 38,976.25 
			 Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union 35,962.40 
			 Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union 3,877.50 
			 Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union 134,167.41 
			 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy 19,951.00 
			 Communication Workers Union 13,237.65 
			 Communication Workers Union 37,746. 86 
			 Equity 14,104.38 
			 First Division Association 97,837 
			 General Federation of Trade Unions 32,259.18 
			 General Federation of Trade Unions 53,978.98 
			 GMB 63,937.54 
			 Musicians Union 15,284.00 
			 National Union of Journalists 5,814.00 
			 National Union of Schoolmasters, Union of Women Teachers 28,385.00 
			 National Union of Teachers 32,916.99 
			 Nautilus UK 6,834.31 
			 PCS-Equality reps 57,062.68 
			 Trade Union Congress 109,508.33 
			 Trades Union Congress 52,683.23 
			 Union of Construction Allied Trades and Technicians 11,496.28 
			 Unison 79,543.50 
			 Unison 16,835.78 
			 Unison 106,997.01 
			 Unite (Amicus) 89,217.79 
			 Unite (T&G) 88,302.00 
			 Unite (T&G) 78,077.35 
			 USDAW 26,938.50 
			 Wales TUC 44,705.00 
			 Total 1,389,478.54 
		
	
	We have recently decided to publish the financial data of funds committed and paid to each union for rounds one and two of the UMF. This is now available on the BIS website from:
	www.bis.gov.uk/policies/employment-matters/strategies/umf
	Equivalent information on round three will be published in due course.

UK Commission for Employment and Skills

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to announce the new Chair of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

John Hayes: I hope to announce the appointment of a new Chair for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills by the end of October.

Union Modernisation Fund

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 411-12W, on the union modernisation fund, 
	(1)  how much each member of the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board claimed in expenses under each category in each year since 2005-06;
	(2)  where each Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board meeting was held; who attended each meeting; what the cost to the public purse of each meeting was; and what the Board's remit is.

Edward Davey: I shall take these questions together.
	The remit of the UMF Supervisory Board, established following a public consultation, is as follows:
	The Board will advise Ministers on the projects which they consider should be supported by the Fund in each bid round in the light of their assessment against the selection criteria.
	At the request of Ministers, the Board will advise Ministers on matters relating to the performance or operation of the Fund, including its future development.
	The final authority for approving bids rests with Ministers.
	Where Ministers do not follow the recommendations of the Board in full, they must give to the Board their reasons.
	The Board will be advised and supported by DTI (now BIS) officials. Subject to this, the Board is responsible for determining its own procedures, including protocol in cases of possible conflicts of interest.
	The Board has met three times, with the following attendees, to review bids to the union modernisation fund:
	 Attendees
	 23-24 November 2005
	Sir Bill Connor
	Judith Hackitt
	Daniel Carrigan
	Adrian Askew
	William Brown
	David Metcalf
	Jeannie Drake
	2-3 July 2007
	Sir Bill Connor
	Daniel Carrigan
	Adrian Askew
	William Brown
	David Metcalf
	Jeannie Drake
	Bruce Warman
	 21 July 2009
	Sir Bill Connor
	Adrian Askew
	William Brown
	Jeannie Drake
	David Lebrecht
	David Gordon
	Also in attendance at each meeting was a small secretariat.
	The cost and location of each meeting of the Supervisory Board was as follows:
	 Meeting of 23-24 November 2005 was held at:
	Hotel Russell
	Russell Square
	London, WC1B
	The cost for this meeting was £4,265.46
	 Meeting of 2-3 July 2007 was held at:
	City Inn
	30 Islip Street
	London, SW1P
	The cost for this meeting was £4,708.09
	 Meeting of 21 July 2009 was held at:
	City Inn,
	30 Islip Street,
	London, SW1P
	The cost to for this meeting was £3602.03
	The following table lists the expenses claimed by each member of the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board under each category in each year since 2005/06.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Member  Daily fees  Air fares  Taxis  Rail Fares  Mileage  Holds  Subsistence  Total 
			  April 2005 to March 2006 
			 Sir Bill Connor 1,500.00 - - 50.00 50.00 - 148.78 1,748.78 
			 Adrian Askew 1,000.00 - - - - - 75.78 1,075.78 
			 Professor William Brown 1,000.00 - - 24.90 - - 145.90 1,170.80 
			 Daniel Carrigan 1,400.00 - - - - - 126.98 1,526.98 
			 Jeannie Drake 1,000.00 - - - - - 75.78 1,075.78 
			 Judith Hackitt 1,200.00 - - - - - 101.38 1,301.38 
			 David Metcalf 1,050.00 - - - - - 3.71 1,053.71 
			 Total8,953.21 
			  
			  April 2006 to March 2007 
			 Sir Bill Connor 1,000.00 - 38.00 876.30 350.00 152.00 272.14 2,688.44 
			 Adrian Askew 200.00 - - - - - - 200.00 
			 Professor William Brown 200.00 - - - - - - 200.00 
			 Daniel Carrigan  532.80 8.00 27.50 37.60 - - 605.90 
			 Jeannie Drake 200.00 - 13.00 - - - - 213.00 
			 David Metcalf - - 22.00 - - - - 22.00 
			 Bruce Warman 200.00 - - 27.20 2.00 - - 229.20 
			 Total4,158.54 
			  
			  April 2007 to March 2008 
			 Sir Bill Connor 1,250.00 - 31.50 1,891.84 264.80 215.34 151.32 3,804.80 
			 Adrian Askew 800.00 - - - - - 46.72 846.72 
			 Professor William Brown 800.00 - 14.40 34.35 -- - 46.72 895.47 
			 Daniel Carrigan 1,300.00 527.20 33.00 8.00 17.60 - 71.19 1,956.99 
			 Jeannie Drake 800.00 - - 8.00 - - 46.72 854.72 
			 David Metcalf 800.00 - 43.00 -- - - 46.72 889.72 
			 Bruce Warman 800.00 - - 26.60 58.00 - 9.60 894.20 
			 Total10,142.68 
			  
			  April 2008 to March 2009 
			 Sir Bill Connor 1,000.00 - 62.60 469.90 476.40 58.68 385.77 2,453.35 
			 Adrian Askew 200.00 - 11.00 - - - 14.05 225.05 
			 Professor William Brown 200.00 - - 32.40 - - - 232.40 
			 Daniel Carrigan 400.00 272.60 4.00 19.50 17.60 - 53.90 767.60 
			 Jeannie Drake 200.00 - - - - - - 200.00 
			 Bruce Warman 200.00 - - - - - - 200.00 
			 Total4,078.40 
			  
			  April 2009 to March 2010 
			 Sir Bill Connor 1,750.00 - 8.00 827.70 578.00 167.00 198.17 3,528.87 
			 Adrian Askew 600.00 - - - - - 15.87 615.87 
			 Professor William Brown 800.00 - - 43.00 - - 15.87 858.87 
			 Daniel Carrigan 400.00 230.60 8.00 - 17.60 - 50.95 707.15 
			 Jeannie Drake 800,00 - - - - - 15.87 815.87 
			 Bruce Warman 900.00 - - 5.00 1.20 - 3.07 909.27 
			 Professor David Gordon 700.00 - 14.30 127.50 55.50 - 43.47 940.47 
			 David Lebrecht 800.00 - - - 400.00 - 246.27 1,446.27 
			 Total9,822.94

Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the likely effects on Wales of his Department's planned spending reductions.

Edward Davey: No departmental expenditure limits (DELs) have yet been set for the financial years beyond 2010-11. DELs for the four years from 2011-12 will be set in the spending review on 20 October 2010.
	No assessment has been made of the likely effects on Wales of BIS's planned spending reductions in financial year 2010-11.

Wines

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department and its predecessors spent on wine in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: The Department does not separately record spending on wine so the details could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All expenditure has been incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Yorkshire Forward

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many jobs in Yorkshire were  (a) created and  (b) supported by funding from Yorkshire Forward between 1997 and 2010.

Mark Prisk: Since being established in 1999, Yorkshire Forward has created over 225,000 jobs.
	The following table sets out the total of jobs created by year.
	
		
			   Total of jobs created 
			 1999/2000 17,279 
			 2000/01 16,882 
			 2001/02 13,985 
			 2002/03 10,888 
			 2003/04 16,544 
			 2004/05 27,312 
			 2005/06 23,810 
			 2006/07 22,254 
			 2007/08 25,456 
			 2008/09 23,635 
			 2009/10 27,161